Reflections
by DistanceMaster
Summary: Neji has always known he was a little different from the rest of his clan. What will happen when a certain Kazekage steps into his life? What does his secret have to do with Iruka's kidnapping six years ago? GaaraXNeji, KakashiXIruka, OCs, language, mpreg
1. Prologue

**Summary: Neji has always known he was a little different from the rest of his clan and has never told anyone about it, not even his beloved father. What will happen when a certain Kazekage steps into his life? What does it have to do with Iruka's kidnapping six years ago? GarraXNeji, KakashiXIruka, OCs, language, mpreg**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story apart from the plot and the OCs (obviously). At times, this story is set in the Land of the Snow from one of the Naruto movies. Most of the OC's will appear in later chapters. **

Prologue

"Kakashi-"

"No! We need to try harder. He's-"

"-They aren't agreeing to our terms."

"I'll go there and get him myself!"

"You know that not even you would be able to infiltrate that place. Himura's forces are too strong for that-"

"-But Iruka-"

"-Will be fine. We just need to wait."

"Don't fucking give me that!"

"Watch it Hatake! I'm still Hokage and I won't take that shit from you!"

Kakashi's hands were shaking, tightened into harsh fists at his sides. His teeth were clenched so hard that it felt as though they would break at any moment. Rage burned fiercely in his stomach. Tsunade was standing behind her desk, arms crossed and scowling. He knew that she didn't like the situation anymore than he did, but it still hadn't prevented his outburst.

"Go find something to occupy your time with," the Hokage spat. "I'll alert you if anything changes."

Spinning on his heel, Kakashi stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him. Tsunade sighed heavily, sinking down in her chair. Her gaze fell to the scroll that lay on her desk, rereading the precise calligraphy that spelled despair for the whole village, though for Kakashi more than anyone else. After all, it was his lover that was gone.

Roughly Seven Months Later…

The forest was filled with loud screams that vibrated off of the snow and trees like a rock skipping over water. It was filled with unbearable pain and suffering of many kinds. The animals that remained in the forest for the winter all raised their heads and listened, not daring to move, but not daring to run either. They were not afraid of the screams. Instead, they sensed that something wonderful was occurring, that a power they had missed in their land for years was returning. Underneath their hooves and feet, the snow hummed softly.

A man lay in a clearing, his shoulders resting against the rough bark of a tree. He was dressed in a plain yukata, which he had viciously pulled open to expose his chest and stomach. Despite the cold wind that whipped around him, he was not cold. As the muscles in his lower abdomen passed, he raised a shaking hand and laid it on his swollen stomach. He knew that he only had a few minutes before another one came. Sending his remaining chakra into his hands, the man watched as the white power danced over his fingers like a glove of fire.

"This had better work. I don't want that damn escape to be for nothing," he panted to the snow and air before he set a thick twig into his mouth.

He clenched his teeth around the wood as he started to cut into his abdomen. He worked slowly, but methodically. He knew what he was doing, having seen the procedure preformed a year or so earlier by one of his former students, but the nervous twinge he felt still wouldn't leave him. When the incision was done, he slowly reached in and, finding what he was looking for, pulled it out. The thing wailed as he wrapped it in a small blanket and cut the thick cord that extended from its stomach. He set the bundle on a patch of dry, dead grass next to him that he had cleared of snow when he'd first started to feel the pain. Turning back to his stomach, he finished the procedure, all the time his teeth digging into the broken branch.

"Shit," he cursed softly. "I don't have any chakra left."

The cut on his abdomen was bleeding profusely, the blood soaking into the snow between his legs. Spots filled his vision, but when he tried to blink them away, they always came back. He was too tired to even cry for help, although he knew that, even if he did, it would never come. He was completely alone except for the wailing blanket beside him.

Suddenly, a figure stalked out of the trees. It stopped at the edge of the clearing, eyeing him not with suspicion, but with wisdom and knowing. The man met its gaze and opened his mouth a bit, letting the branch fall to his lower chest. He managed to summon a growl to his throat, though it just left him panting harder.

The figure, a giant wolf, silently padded over to him, unafraid. It glanced at the bloody blanket at the man's side and let out a protective growl as it turned its yellow gaze back to the man. The wolf leaned forward and rested its chin on the top of the man's head. Chakra as white as the snow surrounding them flowed from the wolf's body and into the man's, giving him just the amount he needed.

The man slowly raised his shaking hands and formed a series of hand seals before slamming his palms onto the open cut that was seeping blood. Panting hard, he dropped the branch from his mouth and performed the same seals again, and again, and again. All the while, the wolf kept its head atop the man's.

When the man was satisfied, the wolf slowly pulled away and watched as the man slowly reached down and took the blanket in his arms. Softly pulling at the edges of the blanket, the man stared down at his son. The child's crying had stopped, replaced by peaceful sleep. Leaning down slightly, the man kissed the child's head, one finger caressing his son's thick white hair.

"Fuyu," the woods around him whispered. "Arashi. Fuyu. Arashi. Fuyu."

"Shinobu," Iruka Umino whispered softly, curling his aching body around his newborn son.

"Fuyu: Winter, the son of the Dormant One and a Summoner of Water Dragons. Arashi: the World Storm, the son of Winter and a Dog of Lighting. Fuyu. Arashi. Fuyu. Arashi."

The chant was carried from the snow to the trees to the air, then to the lands far beyond the snow. The air itself seemed to shudder as it passed the news along. The stoic mountains of the Land of Lightning shook slightly. The sand of the Land of Wind grew hot under the moonlight. Small waves formed in the normally calm sea surrounding the islands of the Land of Water. In the Land of Earth, the ground quivered.

Sitting in the garden of the Hyuuga estate, where he had visiting his cousin, Hinata, Neji felt the stir in the plants around him. He frowned slightly, his meditation broken as he opened his pale eyes. Leaning forward slightly, he looked down into the pond he sat at the edge of. His reflection stared back at him, though the look on its face was much different. It smiled at him.

"Fuyu: Winter himself, the son of the Dormant One and a Summoner of Water Dragons. Arashi: the World Storm, the son of Winter and a Dog of Lightning. Fuyu. Arashi. Fuyu. Arashi," the reflection crooned.

Sighing, Neji sat back, his reflection disappearing and, along with it the ode. The plants around him calmed as the words were carried on through the village.

"What the fuck happened this time?" Neji wondered aloud.

**Preview: Neji is having trouble sleeping, Tenten is worried, and Gaara enters the story**


	2. Chapter 1

**Neji is having problems with Minoru (an OC, btw). Tenten is suspicious of Neji who is having trouble sleeping. Enter Gaara, Kankuro, Iruka, and Shinobu (another OC). Only the third part of this chapter is in the Land of Snow.**

**Enjoy.**

Chapter 1

Five years later…

Neji woke up feeling groggy and annoyed. His head pounded slightly, causing him to raise his hand to his forehead, groaning softly. The dreams that had been haunting him for the past week were starting to affect his sleep schedule in a less than pleasing way.

Glancing over at his alarm clock, he saw that it read four thirty a.m. His room was dark, indicating that the sky was still as well.

Sitting up, he groaned again. Added to the loud pounding in his head, the wounds from his last mission were still hurting a bit. Swinging his legs over the side his bed, Neji stood and padded to the bathroom. He grabbed the small bottle of cream that Tsunade had given him and opened the lid, smearing some onto his hand. Setting the bottle aside, he applied the cream to his various cuts.

Most of the bruises had already healed, though a few still remained a ghastly yellow color. Several small gashed covered his arms and shoulders. The largest one, about six inches in length, was situated just below his collarbone. He sneered slightly as he looked at the giant tear. The bastard had tried to cut his stomach open, but Neji, being the genius that everyone knew he was, had managed to duck out of the way and defeat his opponent with a strong blow to the neck. He knew that the wound would heal into an ugly scar that would mar his otherwise beautiful body, but, instead of worrying about it, Neji had decided to wear it like a badge of honor. It was a scar well earned, he believed.

"You really do like that scar, don't you?" his reflection asked him as it lifted one hand to run a finger over its own identical scar.

"I'm proud to have it," Neji spat. "Do you really need to talk, Minoru (1)? You're ruining my morning."

"We both know that's a lie, Neji," his reflection, Minoru, laughed.

"Shut up, you annoying bastard," Neji cursed.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Better go answer that," Minoru said, leaning forward in the mirror to glance in the direction of the door.

"You'd better not make an appearance while that person's here," Neji spat.

"How can I?" Minoru asked, smiling. "You don't have any mirrors anywhere else in the house."

Wiping his hands of the remaining cream, Neji trudged through the small living room and kitchen to the front door.

Following his promotion to Chunnin, his uncle had allowed Neji to move into one of the smaller homes that lined the edge of the Hyuuga compound. Perhaps it was his uncle attempting to make amends for what he had done, or perhaps it was just a way to get Neji away from him. Either way, the young Hyuuga didn't care. He enjoyed having his own space to spread out in, to use as he wished. When he was younger, he'd always felt trapped in the giant house that the Branch members lived in. Now, he could come and go as he pleased with no consequences. He finally had some freedom.

Pulling the door open, Neji sighed and asked, "What the hell? It's four thirty a.m."

Tenten just smiled at him as she stepped inside.

"Why should it matter what time it is? You're obviously awake," she laughed.

"Shut up," Neji hissed, closing the front door.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Tenten asked as she watched her friend practically slither into a chair at the kitchen table.

"Yeah," Neji muttered.

Walking over to the stove, Tenten picked up the kettle that sat there and filled it with water. She turned on one of the stoves burners and left the kettle to heat, taking the chair across from Neji. Narrowing her eyes a little, she studied her close friend carefully.

His hair, usually so smooth and perfect, was wild and even knotted in a few places. A slight sheen covered the skin around his scars from the ointment he's applied less than a minute earlier. His cotton pants hung loose over his muscled, but sleek legs and rode low on his thin hips. A few lines that she'd never noticed before were situated under his pale eyes.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you having trouble sleeping?" Tenten asked.

"Oh," Neji murmured, blushing slightly.

Tenten giggled a little and leaned forward, curious.

"Come on," she urged.

"I have dreams," Neji confessed. "I don't know if I should call them nightmares or not."

"What are they about?" the kunoichi asked.

_He could feel rough hands move over his waist, softly rubbing the cloth of his shirt as the arms snaked their way to his back. Taking a small step forward, Neji let himself be pulled into the warm embrace, wrapping his own arms around the lithe body in front of him. The man's hands moved up and down his back in a comforting way. Closing his eyes, Neji sunk happily into the tight hug. Everything, every pain, every ache was forgotten. _

_One of the hands traveled down to his ass, where it rested calmly. Almost purring, Neji moved in even closer so his hips were flush against those of the other man. He felt the other man groan softly, the sound ringing in his chest and vibrating into Neji's ear. Slowly, the other man started to knead his ass, trying to pull the smaller Hyuuga closer as his leg slid between Neji's, grinding softly. Opening his eyes, Neji turned his gaze to look up at the taller man, their mouths only centimeters away. A tongue licked at Neji's lips and he opened them willingly, letting the tongue slip into his mouth as they kissed. The other man's thigh ground harder and faster against Neji and he moaned softly. The hand on his ass pulled him closer so that he was almost riding up the muscled leg. Before he closed his eyes again, the last thing he saw was a flash of red hair._

"Neji?" Tenten asked.

"Nothing. They were about nothing," the Hyuuga sighed.

The kettle started to scream and he calmly stood up. Walking over to the stove, he turned it off and took out two mugs, carefully pouring the hot water into them before dropping a tea bag into each one. He handed one to Tenten and sipped from the other one himself. She eyed him cautiously as she picked up the string attached to the tea bag, raising and lowering it in the water slowly to let the taste seep into it faster.

"I don't even remember what they were about," he added as he looked down into the cup of tea. Minoru was smiling up at him from the water.

Two hours later, the sun was just starting to rise over the trees, throwing soft light onto the village. Gaara sat on the balcony of the apartment the Hokage had let him and his brother stay in while they were visiting. After Shukaku had been ripped from his body, he still had been an insomniac. Now that he'd been returned following the destruction of Akatsuki, it continued.

Sighing, Gaara lowered his feet back into a bucket of water that lay at his feet. Although he'd grown up in a village much sunnier and hotter than Kohona, he had a hard time dealing with the excessive humidity of its summers. Cold water was one of the few things that was able to cool him down as using a fan just seemed to freeze the sweat that covered his skin.

"Little brother," Kankuro whined from inside the apartment.

Gaara glanced over his shoulder to see his older brother standing in the doorway. He wore only a pair of boxers, which were soaked in sweat. Even his face was bare. Ever since they'd arrived in the humid country, Kankuro had refused to put his makeup on for fear of it running everywhere. Gaara rolled his eyes at his brother.

"What?" he asked calmly.

"Do we have to meet with the Hokage this morning?" he whined.

"Yes," Gaara said. "We have to. She's going to go over the list of new missing-nin with us."

"Can't we just give her the list and be rid of this wretched humidity? I don't know how Temari stands it," the puppeteer muttered.

"She puts up with it because she has to. Shikamaru would never leave Kohona and she knows it," Gaara replied. "And no, we can't just give her the list. We have to brief the Chuunin and Jounin too."

"Why?"

"Because we have too many for us to just give names. They have to be able to identify them on sight."

Kankuro gave his brother a sideways glance.

"Are you sure that it has nothing to do with a specific Jounin that you particularly like?" Kankuro asked.

"I'm positive," Gaara replied coldly.

"Why not just ask him out?" Kankuro asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"You know why."

"Because he's a Hyuuga?" Kankuro laughed. "Sure, Neji has a lot of pride, but, if he does turn you down, well, at least you tried. Even better, there's a lot of men to choose from."

"Should you really be the one saying that? You've been crushing on Kiba for years and haven't bothered to ask him," Gaara replied playfully.

Kankuro blushed and spat back, "That is a different matter."

Both brothers turned to look at the horizon as the sun continued its steady climb.

"It's going to be a hot day," Gaara murmured.

"Shinobu (2)! Shinobu!" Iruka called.

He was dressed in a pair of black pants and a skin-tight black wife beater, his bare feet making barely any sound on the grassy forest floor. His hair was much longer than when he'd left Kohona six years earlier, but it was still tied back in its signature ponytail. A bag was swung over one shoulder.

"Over here, Papa!" a child shouted, his voice somewhat faint.

Turning to the right, Iruka quickly jogged through the forest. His muscular body moved with ease, leaping over giant rocks without any problem. He felt tempted to go onto all fours as he usually did when going in search of his mischievous five-year-old son, but he held back. Now was not the time to change forms.

"Papa!" Shinobu shouted as his father came into the small clearing where he was sitting.

Various animals, deer mostly, were standing around him, grazing on grass. A huge buck raised his head as Iruka came closer, but quickly lowered it back down.

"It's time to go," Iruka said.

"Okay," Shinobu said softly.

He stood up and brushed some dirt off of the back of his dark pants before bounding over to his father. Kneeling down, Iruka let his son hop onto his back. The giant buck slowly walked over to the pair and eyed Iruka. Smiling, Iruka held out a hand to the buck, who sniffed it.

"Thanks for all the help. You've guarded Shinobu like he was your own," Iruka murmured to the buck.

Shaking its head somewhat, the buck licked Iruka's hand and, then, Shinobu's.

"Bye, Shika-san (3)," Shinobu said as the buck started to graze again.

"Are you ready?" Iruka asked.

"Will I get to meet Chichi (4)?" the small five-year-old asked as Iruka left the clearing.

"Yes, you will," Iruka replied, smiling sadly.

Shinobu wrapped his arms around his father's neck, squeezing a little.

"It's okay, Papa. He's probably waiting for us," the child said.

Iruka petted his son's hair and gave him a warm smile.

"I'm sure he is."

Breaking into a steady jog, Iruka moved as quickly and efficiently as a wolf. Shinobu, not at all bothered by the speed at which they were going, chattered away to his silent father about everything and anything. At times, he was commenting on the landscape that they passed. At others, he talked to the birds in the trees around them. Every now and then, the young boy would ask Iruka how long it would take them to reach his home village. Iruka would just smile and give the same answer: a week, if not two.

By noon, the boy had been rocked to sleep by the steady pace of his father's running. Iruka knew that he would have to stop soon, but he wanted to reach the nearest road first. He could feel the seal on his abdomen starting to creak and weaken.

'It's almost the end of the month,' Iruka sighed to himself. 'I'm going to have to reseal the incision before the first layer breaks.'

They had reached the road within minutes and Iruka slowed to a walk. His breath was coming in hard, but only because the seal was starting to bother him more and more. Hearing a loud clacking sound, he turned to see a horse and cart cantering towards him. He waved and the cart slowed to a stop.

"Do you need a ride?" the farmer who sat in the cart asked.

"If you are offering, yes," Iruka said, smiling.

"Hop in back. He looks exhausted," the farmer replied.

Quickly, Iruka did just that and settled onto one of the hay bales that filled most of the cart. Shinobu stirred slightly in his sleep as his father slowly and carefully removed his son from his back. Laying him in his lap, Iruka started to preen his son's hair with his fingers.

Shinobu had a thin, but pretty face. His cheekbones were high and sharp, his jaw set strongly. He had Iruka's darkened skin and chocolate brown eyes, but, somehow, he had startling white hair, a trait that had most assuredly not come from his dark-eyed, dark-haired papa. It was a trait from his chichi, something that Shinobu was more than proud of.

"How old is he?" the farmer asked as he glanced back at the father and son.

"Five," Iruka replied, brushing a strand of white hair of Shinobu's face.

"I have a daughter of a similar age," the farmer said. "She's quite the handful."

"As is he," Iruka laughed.

"Where's his mother?"

Iruka was quiet for a moment, thinking of how to answer. Ever since Shinobu's birth, the only human contact that he'd had was with occasional hunters that had come into his territory looking for deer and a crazy hermit that had taken up residence nearby for a while.

"Gone, huh?" the farmer asked.

Iruka nodded as he ran a finger over Shinobu's cheek.

"At least he has you. That's something."

Not far off, a wolf's call could be heard. Iruka and the farmer both turned to look at the giant beast that stood at the edge of the forest. It was calm and composed, just staring at them as they rode by. Iruka could feel the farmer's fear, but he just smiled as the wolf turned away and went back into the woods.

"Bye bye, Ookami-san (5)," Shinobu murmured before curling into a tighter ball in his papa's lap.

**(1) 'Minoru' means truth.**

**(2) 'Shinobu' means endurance**

**(3) 'Shika' means deer**

**(4) 'Chichi' is the Japanese term for ones own father that is used in informal situations, such as when one is with their family.**

**(5) 'Ookami' means wolf**

**Preview for next chapter: the meeting with Tsunade, introduction of Kakashi.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Preview: enter Tsunade and Kakashi. Iruka is on his way home with Shinobu. Neji finds himself in an... interesting predicament.**

**I don't own anything except for the plot, Shinobu, Minoru, and other other unnamed OC's.**

Chapter 2

Tsunade had called a meeting for eleven o'clock and Neji, along with most of the others, was there early. He was leaning against the wall nearest the door, watching the others around him. Hinata, Ino, and Sakura were chatting casually with Tsunade, who occasionally gave her apprentice a quick slap to the back of the head for saying something stupid. Several Jounin stood on the other side of the room, conversing among themselves. The other Kohona Chunnin and Shikamaru made up the third group that sat at the back of the room on a long couch. Temari stood next to her boyfriend, glancing impatiently at the door every now and then. Neji knew whom she was waiting for because he was waiting for him too.

"Don't be too worried, Neji," Kakashi replied from where he stood beside him.

Neji looked over at the Jounin with a slight glimmer of surprise in his eyes. He too was leaning against the wall, his arms loose at his sides. As Neji examined the copy nin's face, he looked old and haggard. Crows feet had settled at the corners of his eye and his frame was skinnier than ever.

"He'll be here soon," Kakashi continued coldly.

Dropping his gaze to the floor, Neji blushed slightly, partially from what Kakashi had said and partially because it had been Kakashi who'd said it. Ever since Iruka had been kidnapped by Himura Utake of the Land of Snow six years earlier and then subsequent escape and disappearance nearly seven months after that, the Jounin had changed drastically. For the first year or so, Kakashi had taken several trips to the Land of Snow in search of his beloved, the number of which escalated after Himura had informed them of Iruka's disappearance from his estate. However, after being so long without his beloved dolphin, he'd started to grow cold and distant. Even Naruto, whom Kakashi had practically adopted as his own son after starting his relationship with Iruka, was unable to bring the Jounin back to his former self. After that, the number of missions Kakashi took jumped to an unprecedented amount and broke every record that had ever been set by anyone.

Suddenly, the door swung open and three men, Naruto, Kankuro, and Gaara, walked into the office. Kankuro and Naruto looked as they usually did, the puppeteer wearing full makeup and Naruto dressed in orange. Gaara, however, looked slightly different. He'd left his gourd at the apartment. Neji shuffled his feet uncomfortably as Gaara glanced at him momentarily before turning his attention to the Hokage.

"We're all here?" Gaara asked.

Tsunade nodded and Gaara took his spot next to her. Kankuro took a large pack off of his shoulder and laid it on the desk to the Hokage. Inside were ten scrolls, each representing a different missing-nin.

"So many," the Hokage mused as she unrolled the first one.

"A rebellion is never good for a village's prestige," Gaara replied. "That's why I'm eliciting help."

"Which we're more than glad to give," the Hokage said, glancing around her the ninja assembled before her.

Each one nodded in agreement.

"Good. First, we have-"

It took a good two hours for the Kazekage to go through all of the scrolls and tell them everything they needed to know. For most of the time, Neji tried to listen only to what Gaara was saying, turning his gaze to the window so that he could avoid looking at the beautiful leader. He managed to understand, categorize, and organize most of what Gaara said, though his mind did wander in the wrong direction occasionally. Whenever he did, he would pinch himself to jolt himself out of his fantasies. Gaara, of course, noticed this, though he hid it well behind his cold mask.

'We're finally done,' he thought as the other ninja started to leave the office. Following them, Neji quickly made his way through the halls, trying to get out of the building as soon as possible. When he did, he heard someone call to him.

"Neji!"

He froze in mid-step before slowly turning to see Gaara walking towards him.

"Kazekage," he said softly.

With strength, but not anger, Gaara grabbed the Hyuuga by the arm and dragged him into a nearby alley. Protesting loudly, Neji felt his heart leap in his chest, but he didn't fight back. For far off, Kakashi watched with interest, smiling for the first time in nearly five years.

"What do you want?" Neji asked when Gaara had finally stopped walking.

They were several blocks from the Hokage's office, in a back alley behind a weapons shop. Swinging around, Gaara backed Neji against the stone wall behind him, placing his hands on either side of the smaller ninja. As the pale eyes of the Hyuuga met his, Gaara nearly kissed him, but he kept his cool… or at least as well as he could under the current situation.

"Fuck," he hissed softly as he let his head drop between his arms.

"Excuse me?" Neji asked, his voice shaking.

Sighing, Gaara stood up straight, his hands leaving the wall.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," he muttered. "I just-"

Neji frowned slightly.

"I just… thought you were avoiding me," Gaara continued, scratching the back of his head and feeling awkward.

Gulping, Neji quietly replied, "I… was."

"Why?" the Kazekage asked, the tone in his voice not at all commanding.

"I… um…" Neji stuttered.

Gaara gave him a quizzical look, his mouth turning down into a frown.

_He is hiding something_, Shukaku hissed softly.

_No duh,_ Gaara replied, _But what?_

_I think he likes you, too, _the demon replied.

_Bull shit._

_I think not. A bull's shit tastes just as bad as it sounds. This is much more… sweet, I guess._

_And you would know what shit tastes like._

_Never underestimate a demon._

As Gaara was having his own private conversation, Neji was unfortunately having one of his own, although this one was entirely one sided.

"What do you have to lose?" Minoru chuckled in Gaara's eyes. "Just ask him. I'm sure he's just like you too. Don't be a coward. Be a man."

Growling slightly at his annoying reflection, Neji grabbed the back of Gaara's neck and pulled him in, passionately kissing him as he closed his eyes. The Kazekage remained still for a moment, shocked.

_Told you so,_ the demon snickered as Gaara opened his mouth to lick at Neji's lips.

Neji let Gaara's tongue into his mouth, almost purring softly as the redhead ran his tongue over the Hyuuga's. Pushing the smaller man against the wall and then pulling himself in close, Gaara possessively started to explore the rest of Neji's mouth, loving the taste of… mint, was it? He licked at the roof, pulling Neji closer when the Hyuuga moaned. Wrapping his free arm around the Kazekage's waist, Neji pushed his lower abdomen flush against Gaara's and sighed into their kiss.

Slowly, Gaara pulled away, panting slightly. Dropping his gaze, Neji blushed slightly and rested his forehead against the redhead's shoulder. He dropped the hand that was holding Gaara's neck to his waist, intertwining it with his other fingers. However, he refused to move the lower half of his body away from Gaara's.

"So-" the Kazekage started after he'd regained his breath. "-Where does this leave us?"

"I don't know," Neji replied quietly into Gaara's shoulder.

"Do you… really want to be with me?" the redhead asked.

Neji nodded silently.

"Alright," Gaara murmured.

He looked down over Neji's shoulder, eyeing his ass. His hand itched to move lower from it's current position on the Hyuuga's waist and he did so slightly, just to the hollow of Neji's back.

"You can touch," Neji whispered, making Gaara freeze.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked.

"Yeah," Neji said, raising his head a little to meet Gaara's gaze.

Without saying anything, Gaara lowered his hand further, hand flexed and fingers extended. His palm was the first to touch the Hyuuga's ass, kneading the firm flesh slightly. Neji moaned softly as he put his head back on Gaara's shoulder. The sound sent fire straight down his spine to his groan. Slowly, he curled his fingers around the curve of the cheek and squeezed hard. Groaning, Neji shifted his hips slightly from side to side so one of Gaara's legs was situated between his own.

Nipping at Neji's right ear, Gaara murmured, "I don't want to rush you, Neji."

The Hyuuga met his gaze and nodded, though he refused to move. Smiling, Gaara gave Neji's ass one last squeeze before turning to lead Neji down the alley, one arm draped casually on his new boyfriend's waist.

It was nearly midnight when Iruka and Shinobu reached the nearest town. Around sundown, the farmer had dropped them off when they'd reached his cottage, directing them to the small town that was another six miles or so up the road. Iruka, who would have normally jogged the relatively short distance, was forced to walk it or, rather, limp it. He could feel a giant crack forming in the seal, letting the pain that it usually kept down rush through his body freely. Shinobu tried to stay awake to keep his papa company, but felt himself drift off to sleep not long after they'd left the farm.

Making his way into a small bar, Iruka found himself surrounded by drunks. They cheered and sang and were merry as could be. When Shinobu stirred on his shoulder, Iruka glanced back at his son, finding him still asleep.

"What can I do for you?" the bartender asked when Iruka walked up to him.

"Is there anywhere in town we can stay tonight? I don't have any money," Iruka said.

"I've got a cot in the back, if you'd like," the bartender said. "No charge. I usually leave it for the drunks that can't make it home."

"Thanks," Iruka said warily.

"Don't worry," the bartender laughed, "I won't jump you. My wife will just fawn over you two."

Relaxing slightly, Iruka nodded thankfully to the man, who led him towards the back. The cot was set up in an empty storage room. It didn't look a bit comfortable, but it would be more than big enough to fit Iruka and his son. Carefully setting Shinobu down on the cot, Iruka covered him with the blanket that the bartender gave him.

"Do you want a drink?" the bartender asked.

"Just a small one, would be good," Iruka said, smiling weakly.

"Alright. Oh, and by the way, the bathroom is just down the hall."

Closing the door to the storage room behind him, the former ninja walked back into the bar behind the bartender and sat at an empty stool.

"What do you want?"

"Sake, if you have it and just one please. I have to leave early tomorrow."

"Got it."

"Hey!"

Iruka turned around to see a huge, burly man standing next to him. He narrowed his eyes slightly, giving the giant man a glare.

"What?" he asked.

"Are you really a man?"

Rolling his eyes, Iruka turned back to face forward. He grabbed the shot of sake and quickly downed it.

"I was talking to you!" the man shouted as he latched onto Iruka's arm.

Something in Iruka's stomach snapped and he lashed out, delivering a harsh blow to the side of the man's head. Staggering back, the giant crashed into one of the tables. Suddenly, he was back up, aiming for Iruka's face. Ducking out of the way, Iruka kicked at the man's knees, making him fall heavily to the floor.

"Don't. Fuck. With. Me." Iruka muttered harshly.

Grabbed from behind, Iruka almost squeaked as he was lifted from the ground, an arm wrapped around his neck. Clenching his teeth, he growled, his eyes turning ice blue with fury. He clawed at the arm that was choking him with both hands, leaving deep, bleeding gashes. The man behind him almost screamed in pain, dropping Iruka, who landed softly on the floor. Spinning around, Iruka landed a hard, fierce kick to the man's groin before delivering another to his stomach. This threw the man back into the wall behind him.

"I don't want to have to repeat myself," Iruka hissed, his eyes shifting back to their normal dark brown.

"What the fuck are- "

" –Papa?"

Shinobu stepped into the bar, rubbing one of his eyes.

"You should be in bed," Iruka said softly.

"I heard you fighting," Shinobu replied as he walked over to his father.

"I'm sorry that I woke you," Iruka sighed, bending down to pick up his son.

Thankfully, the claws that had adorned his fingers were gone.

"It's okay," the young boy replied. "I just thought you might need this."

He held up his father's old hitai-ate, which had somehow remained unscathed after years of use. The leaf was still clearly visible in the metal, which shone faintly in the light.

"Thank you, but I don't need it now," Iruka said, kissing his son's forehead. He glanced over at the fallen men. "Now, will you leave me alone?"

Both men nodded fiercely.

"Good," Iruka said coldly before carrying his son off to bed.

"A ninja. He's a ninja. Why wasn't he wearing the headband then? Why did his son have it? Is he a missing-nin? No, there's no slash in the symbol. He must be here on a mission. Why did he bring his son then?"

The hurried whispered followed Iruka all the way back to the supply closet and it was only when he closed the door did they stop. He set Shinobu on the floor, who scampered back to the cot, while Iruka himself set the Hitai-ate back into the bag where Shinobu had drawn it from.

"Go to sleep," Iruka said when he felt his son's dark eyes on him.

"Does it hurt, Papa?"

"What?"

Iruka looked back at his son, frowning.

"Your cut. It hurts, doesn't it?"

Smiling softly, Iruka nodded.

"A little. Go to sleep now. When you wake up, it'll all be better."

Nodding, Shinobu curled up under the blanket and gave a small growl of happiness. Iruka watched his son until he was sure that the little boy was asleep. Sighing, he quickly walked to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Leaning back against the door, Iruka sighed heavily, closing his eyes.

"So close," he muttered as he used one hand to pull down the waistband of his pants, the other to lift his shirt.

A seal decorated his lower abdomen, holding the incision he'd made five years earlier closed. It looked like a giant tattoo, a rectangular spiral that looked almost like a maze. Four black, jagged lines, one on each side of the rectangle, adorned his tan skin. A long crack ran down the middle of the rectangle, much like a crack in a ceramic plate.

"Fuck," he hissed as he formed the series of hand seals.

Laying the glowing chakra over the original seal, he felt it sink into the incision, pulling it tightly closed again. He let his hand fall to his side as he panted slightly. He groaned as the chakra made its way down the entire length of the cut, yanked the flesh together with a twinge of pain. When it was all over, he stood up straight and unlocked the door, making his way back to the storage closet.

The incision burned painfully for the remainder of the night.

**Preview for the next chapter: Neji and Gaara discuss their relationship, Kakashi muses about his**


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary: Neji and Gaara discuss their budding relationship. Kakashi reflects on the past and his current state. Iruka has to answer some questions for a curious Shinobu. Tsunade gets some distressing news.**

Chapter 3

They sat in Neji's apartment, each holding a cup of tea as they stared at each other across the table. The scents of mint and cinnamon, the respective favorite of each drinker, filled the air around them. Their eyes never left each other as they carefully studied their new partner.

"So," Gaara said softly, breaking the silence, "What do you want to do?"

"Do?" Neji asked, his face a frozen mask.

"About… our relationship," Gaara replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you going to tell your family?"

Neji was taken aback by the question. He frowned slightly and lowered his gaze, thinking.

"I don't think so," he said quietly.

Nodding, Gaara completely understood. Although the young Hyuuga had been given some level of freedom, or at least compared to what he'd had growing up, the clan would surely frown upon his newfound relationship with Gaara. Months ago, the Kazekage had asked Naruto about Neji's quiet, stern personality and felt a burning sensation in his stomach every time he even thought about it. He was almost afraid to see the brand on the young Hyuuga's forehead for fear that he would lose his temper again.

"Are you going to tell your family?" Neji asked.

"Do you want me to?" the Kazekage asked.

Shrugging, Neji slowly said, "I trust your siblings, I guess."

"If its any consolation, my brother has been pining after Kiba for nearly three years," Gaara laughed as he took a sib of tea.

"Dog-boy? Why?" Neji asked.

"I don't know," Gaara chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"How long have you liked me?"

Gaara met the pale gaze with a playful glint in his eyes. Ever since their time in the alley earlier that day, Gaara had grown to be calmer around Neji than anyone else, including his own siblings. His mask had fallen somewhat.

"For a long time," the Kazekage replied.

"How long?" Neji repeated.

"Since the first time we'd met, at the Chunnin Exams."

"That's a long time."

"Yes. I thought that your battle with Naruto was absolutely stunning. All of that power you'd had, achieved through just simple copying."

"You knew that then?"

"Well, no. It took me another week to get Naruto to tell me that part, but it beautiful all the same." He eyed his new boyfriend carefully. "What about you? When did you start to like me?"

Neji smiled a little. "It was somewhat later than you. I first realized it after you came back with Lee after we tried to get Sasuke back. You were so kind to all of us when we were recovering. Minoru called you a righteous man."

"Minoru?"

"A friend of mine," Neji quickly said, glancing down at his tea cup.

"I remember that mission," Gaara mused. "You put up a good fight then too."

"That one was just a bloody mess," Neji sighed. "I got hit by his damn arrows twice and nearly died."

"But you didn't."

Neji eyed his cup of tea, holding it up so he could see Minoru grinning at him.

"Stupid," Neji muttered quietly as he set his cup back down.

"Sorry?" Gaara asked, barely hearing what Neji had said.

"Nothing. I was just talking to myself."

Gaara gave Neji a suspicious glance, but didn't ask about it. He silently leaned over the table to place a soft kiss on his boyfriend's lips. As he started to pull away, Neji stood up and walked around the table, his tea forgotten. Gaara sat back in his chair as Neji boldly took a seat on the Kazekage's lap, a strong blush spreading across his pale skin. Smiling widely, Gaara hugged him tightly and they kissed again.

Kakashi hated to go home. He knew before he even got close how miserable he would be. Silence had never been his favored level of sound, but now, he hated it more than anything else in the entire world.

Turning the key in the lock, Kakashi stepped into the quiet and dark apartment. Out of habit, he sniffed the air and sighed when all he smelled was dust. He slammed the door and slowly made his way through the dark room, not daring to look at anything but the floor. Flopping down on the couch, he groaned softly and tossed his weapons onto the coffee table beside it. His heart ached as he turned his face towards the back of the couch and curled his long, thin legs up to the rest of his body. He covered his eyes with his hand, the other clenching the front of his shirt as the first tear of the night fell.

"_Why are you crying, Kakashi?" Iruka asked, clearly worried._

"_It's nothing, Iru. Go back to sleep," Kakashi replied. _

_He glanced over at his lover, wiping tears from his eyes. They were lying on their bed, wrapped in a thin, cotton sheet. Iruka was on his stomach, his arms stacked up on top of each other. His head was resting on his hands as he studied Kakashi, hair loose and flowing over his shoulders. _

"_Don't say that," Iruka said. "I'd rather have you tell me."_

"_I don't want it to bother you. You're going on a mission tomorrow," Kakashi sighed._

"_Fine," Iruka muttered._

_Sliding over to the older ninja, Iruka lay down again and curved his body to fit Kakashi's left side. Smiling, Kakashi reached under Iruka and hugged him closer. _

"_Don't pout, Iru," Kakashi laughed slightly._

"_You're the one who said we should tell each other everything," Iruka spat._

"_I know, I know. It's just-"_

"_-Hard?"_

"_Yeah. There's just a whole fuck ton of shit that I really don't want you to know."_

_He heard the young teacher sigh and relax in his arms._

"_Since you won't tell me-" Iruka started._

"_Yes?"_

"_-You'll just have to make it up to me."_

_Smiling, Kakashi glanced down at the dark-haired ninja and turned his body so that they were facing each other. His free hand traced the muscles of Iruka's chest before moving down across his stomach and lower. Iruka moaned when Kakashi's hand reached the juncture between his legs and stroked softly. He rolled onto his back, pulling Kakashi with him. _

"_I'll do more than make it up to you," Kakashi chuckled as he bit at Iruka's neck._

"_I'll hold you to that," Iruka laughed as he spread his legs for Kakashi's hand._

In the darkness of the empty apartment, Kakashi wept.

"Fuck you, world," the broken ninja muttered. "Fuck you."

The following morning, Iruka awoke to a patiently waiting son. When they'd been living in the wild, this had not always been the case as the young tyrant has usually gone out to play with the deer before breakfast. Sitting up, Iruka found Shinobu sitting cross-legged beside the cot, the hitai-ate in his hands. He was running his fingers over it, the nails catching in the solid grooves of the leaf.

"Papa," the boy asked, not looking up.

"Yeah?"

"Will I have one of these some day?"

Reaching over, Iruka fluffed Shinobu's already wild white hair, dragging his son's attention away from the hitai-ate.

"I'm sure that you will. After all, you are your father's son," Iruka said, smiling.

"Which one?" Shinobu asked as he crawled up onto his papa's lap.

"Both of us, I guess," Iruka replied.

He kissed one of Shinobu's cheeks and then the other.

"Can you tell me more about Chichi?" the young boy asked, holding out the hitai-ate to his father.

"Later. We need to get you breakfast first."

Tsunade was in her office, filling out some paperwork when Shizune knocked on her door. Raising her head, the Hokage called her for assistant to enter. The younger woman was carrying a small scroll in one hand and her face was deathly pale

"What is it?" Tsunade asked as she took the scroll.

"Read it," Shizune replied.

Giving her assistance a strange look, the Hokage unrolled the scroll and read its contents. With each passing word, the color drained from her face until she was the same shade as Shizune. Snapping the scroll closed, Tsunade's eyes darted around the office as though looking for something. Finally, her gaze landed on Shizune.

"We can't tell Kakashi about this," Tsunade murmured, eyes wide. "If he finds out that Himura Utake has assembled an army of missing-nin and is ready to attack, he'll go out and assassinate the man before we can say sake. We can't have another war break out."

She tapped her forehead with the scroll.

"Send for Gaara and Naruto. We need to get Kakashi away from the village for a while-"

" –Should we really deny Kakashi that, Hokage?" Shizune asked. "I mean Himura is the cause of all of his misery."

"A man driven by revenge is never going to get anywhere on the battlefield," the Hokage hissed. "Look at what happened to Sasuke."

"Hokage, I still- "

"Send Naruto and Gaara to me now!" Tsunade screamed at her assistant.

**Preview: Neji and Gaara continue to take their relationship slow (sorry, no Yaoi yet). Gaara and Naruto are called to discuss what to do with a certain white-haired Jounin. **

**Thank you to those that have reviewed! It's nice to know that even on my first day of posting, someone is reading what I write. It's made me feel very welcome. **


	5. Chapter 4

**Ah chapter 4 already. I'm writing this pretty quickly, finishing four chapters and a prologue in less than twenty-four hours. That's pretty good considering. **

**Summary: Neji and Gaara continue to take their relationship slow (sorry, no Yaoi yet). Gaara and Naruto are called to discuss what to do with a certain white-haired Jounin.**

Chapter 4

Sunlight streamed through the crack in the fabric shades, falling down upon the wooden floor of Neji's cottage. Small flecks of dust swirled about slowly in the rays of light before falling back into the shadows. Neji stirred slightly from his position on the floor, sighing in his sleep. His hair had been pulled out of its long, low ponytail and was flung out beside him on the pillow.

Gaara watched his boyfriend as he slept. He was sitting in a small armchair only a foot away from where Neji slumbered, his face relaxed and his eyes calm. For most of the night, he'd been seated in the same chair, his eyes never straying far from what they currently beheld. His mind drifted back to the night before.

_They had agreed to take it slow. Neither of them had ever been in a relationship before and they wanted to relish every possible experience that could come. Gaara had laughed when Neji had admitted to having never had a boyfriend in his entire life. _

"_Why is that?" Gaara asked, running his hand over Neji's right cheek. "You're beautiful."_

"_That doesn't really make a difference," Neji replied. His arms were wrapped around the back of Gaara's neck. "I was too busy with other things and no one ever asked me."_

"_Really? I'm surprised," the Kazekage said. "I thought a powerful Hyuuga such as your self would be able to balance it all: life, training, and a relationship."_

"_Hardly. I spent most of my childhood trying to figure out how the Main Branch's jutsu worked. I wanted to make sure they realized that I was there and I was not going away," Neji hissed._

"_Naruto told me about that too," Gaara murmured._

"_What all did Naruto tell you about me?" the Hyuuga asked. _

"_Whatever you told him during your fight at the Chuunin exams."_

_Neji snorted. "Great so you know about all of that."_

"_Yes, I do," Gaara said as he reached up and ran a finger over the leaf symbol of Neji's hitai-ate._

_Slowly, he inched his hands behind Neji's head and untied the knot at the back. Setting the band aside, Gaara stared at the mark burned into his boyfriend's forehead, cupping Neji's face with his hands. _

"_A caged bird," Gaara whispered before he kissed Neji's seal._

_Sighing, Neji rested his forehead against Gaara's, their gaze meeting momentarily. The young Hyuuga smiled and the couple kissed, their tongues fighting for dominance over one another. The Kazekage eventually won, a fact that Neji was nowhere near disappointed by. He let Gaara stay the night though they never went beyond kissing and feeling each other through their clothes. Sometime after midnight, Neji decided to set up a small bed of pillows and sheets for them in the living room as his actual bed was far two small for even Neji alone. _

"_You need a new bed," Gaara purred in his ear as they lay on the makeshift mattress. "You never know when you'll need a bigger one."_

_Neji had rolled his eyes, muttered something under his breath, and gave his boyfriend a kiss before drifting off to sleep. _

Gaara watched as the Hyuuga opened his eyes, yawning slightly as he awoke. Turning onto his side so he faced the Kazekage, Neji smiled a little and motioned to him. Standing up, Gaara gladly took a seat next to the smaller man, giving a chaste morning kiss.

"How did you sleep?" Gaara asked.

"Very well, thank you," was Neji's reply as he sat up.

Pulling Neji into his lap, Gaara started to run his fingers through the long dark tresses of hair, carefully pulling out knots. Neji sighed softly as the Kazekage worked on his hair, feeling completely relaxed.

There was a sudden knock at the door that knocked both of them out of their calm states. Frowning, Neji stood and left Gaara in the living room as he walked to the door. He threw it open and found a Shizune clone waiting on the doorstep.

"The Kazekage has been called to the Hokage's office to discuss important mattered," the clone said quickly before exploding into smoke.

Neji gaped at the now empty space as Gaara came up behind him.

"How did they- "

" –My guess is that Kankuro told them his suspicions when I didn't go back to the apartment last night," Gaara sighed.

"Shit," Neji hissed softly.

Hearing another door open, probably from one of the other small residences around his, Neji quickly shut his. He turned to Gaara, a look of worry spreading across his face. Chuckling, Gaara took Neji's face in his hands again and kissed him hard.

When they'd pulled away from each other, Neji panting, Gaara laughed, "Don't worry so much. I'll make sure that no one knows I was here."

Then, he discretely left through the back window and disappeared.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuckity shit, fuck.'

Iruka and Shinobu had finally arrived at the southern most edge of the island that housed the Land of Snow. However, there was a slight problem. Every few miles along the shoreline, there was a gang of soldiers. Rough camps of tents had been set up and each one bore at least twenty weapon-wielding, battle-ready people. Some spent their time patrolling the shoreline, others just standing guard around the camps.

"Who are they, Papa?" Shinobu whispered.

They were kneeling behind a large bush, pushing aside leaves and branches to give themselves a better look at the camp not two-hundred yards from where they were. Hearing someone coming, Iruka ducked back into the bush just before several soldiers passed their hiding spot. The former ninja shuddered when he recognized the emblem that was engraved on their armor.

"They're Himura Utake's men," Iruka muttered as soon as the men were out of ear shot.

"The bear man?" Shinobu asked.

Nodding, Iruka patted his son's head.

"Don't worry though. We'll find a way through."

They walked further along through the trees until Iruka suddenly stopped. He gave his son the hand signal to wait as he approached the edge of the forest. Glancing both directions, Iruka quickly scurried across the dirt road that separated the wild trees from the rocky shoreline. What he round was that, in this particular place, the shoreline rose several feet at a steady angle, like the side of a hill. However, on the other side of this hill, it abruptly dropped off, forming almost a miniature cliff with a small foot-wide line of sand at the bottom. Iruka gave the signal and Shinobu quickly joined his father before the both of them dropped onto the small stretch of sand below.

Suddenly, voices reached his sensitive ears and Iruka laid himself flat against the rock wall behind him, Shinobu doing the same. Glancing upwards, Iruka saw two men standing at the edge of the cliff, talking and looking out at the sea. They laughed and joked as Iruka felt cold sweat drip from his body to the sand, silently praying that the men wouldn't realize that they were there. He could feel Shinobu shaking violently next to him.

Thankfully, the men quickly left and Iruka almost fell to his knees in relief. His son grabbed his leg to steady him, flashing his father a bright smile. Returning it, Iruka bent down and let his son climb onto his back before stepping out onto the water. Chakra rushed to his feet as he took off over the chopping sea, heading direct south.

"Land of Water, here we come," Iruka muttered to himself.

Tsunade was waiting when Gaara arrived. She gave him a grin as he closed the door, a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Did you have fun?" she teased.

"What are you talking about, baa-chan? (1)" Naruto whined from his seat on the couch.

"Our beloved Kazekage here has found a friend, a close friend," Tsunade smirked.

"Why are you smiling like that, baa-chan? It's a good thing that Gaara is making friends," Naruto said, confused.

"He's not my friend- " Gaara muttered.

" -Gaara, I- " Naruto started.

"-He's my boyfriend," Gaara cut in.

The Kazekage watched as the look on Naruto's face went from confusion to absolute and total shock.

"Bullshit! Who?" Naruto cried.

Turning away, Gaara flicked his wrist at Naruto, trying to tell him to drop it. He met Tsunade's stare with a roll of the eyes.

"Don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Gaara muttered. "He doesn't want anyone to know its him."

"I can see why. It's not a problem," Tsunade said, nodding. "Naruto, that means you, too."

"I don't even know who we're talking about!" Naruto shouted.

"Good. It'll help you keep your head," the Hokage replied before a serious attitude took over her body. "So, do you two want to know why I've called you here?"

Both Naruto and the Kazekage nodded.

"We received a scroll yesterday from Himura Utake- "

" –The asshole that kidnapped Iruka nii-san!" Naruto almost screamed, leaping up.

"Shh. Keep your voice down idiot!" Tsunade snapped. "Yes, that asshole."

"Did he find Umino-san?" Gaara asked.

Tsunade shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. Instead, he's apparently ready to attack us."

"What? Why?" Naruto snapped. "I'm going to pound that asshole into next year if he thinks- "

" –Does he say why?" Gaara asked, cutting through Naruto's ranting.

"All he says is that we have something he wants," the Hokage sighed.

She held out the scroll to Gaara who took it. As he read through it, his face contorted into a look of rage.

"Self-righteous asshole," he muttered.

"I'd say," Tsunade spat. "It sounds like he's ready to do anything to get what he wants."

"Fuck," Naruto added. "We have to tell Kakashi-sensei about this."

"I don't think that is such a good idea," Tsunade said slowly.

"Why the fuck not? This asshole is the one that fucked up his whole life!" Naruto yelled.

"I don't see why you think that either, Hokage," the Kazekage said. "He has a right to know that the man who kidnapped his beloved is coming to attack."

"Don't get sentimental on me just because you have one too, Kazekage."

"I'm not being sentimental. I'm being practical. He's going to find out anyway."

"What makes you say that?"

"Guy-sensei will spill the news that Himura is coming no matter what we do," Naruto sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "He can't hold back when Kakashi-sensei's involved and, to tell you the truth, knowing that he could kill Himura might help Kakashi-sensei out."

"Naruto, I- "

" –Hear me out on this one. Kakashi-sensei has been… less than happy since Iruka-sensei was kidnapped and disappeared. We give him the chance to get revenge and he may come out of his shell, I guess you could say," Naruto finished.

"Hm. Good point," the Hokage said softly, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the desk and her chin on the backs of her hands.

"I agree with Naruto," Gaara added. "He deserves to know that Himura Utake is coming, but I think that he should be put on reserves when the battle comes, if it does. We don't want him rushing into the first wave. He'll probably get himself killed before he can even get to Himura."

"Agreed," Tsunade said as she sat back in her chair, "But if we put Kakashi on reserves- "

" –Then you'll need more ninjas?" Gaara finished for her. "No worries. Kankuro and I will remain here until all of this is sorted out. I'll send for a few more as well."

"That would be great, thanks," Tsunade replied. "Naruto, would you like to tell-"

"-Can I do it?" Gaara asked.

"You? Why?"

"I want to. Are you okay with that Naruto?"

The blond nodded.

"That's fine with me."

"Good. Meeting adjourned?"

"Meeting adjourned."

**(1) Baa-chan is a short, more friendly form of oobaa-san meaning 'grandmother'**

**Preview: Minoru has an important conversation with Neji. Himura Utake plans his attack. Who –or what- are the Ookami?**


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary: Gaara and Kakashi discuss the threat of Himura's attack. Minoru has an important conversation with Neji. Himura Utake plans his attack. And who are the Ookami? **

**I don't own anything except the plot and the OCs. A few new OCs are going to be introduced in his chapter: Daiki, Emi, and Rei. There will be a little KakaxIru yaoi in this one.**

Chapter 5

The sun had already passed its noon position in the sky. Noise from the busy streets below drifted up to the window and filter through the screen that was used to keep bugs out. Inside the second-floor apartment, the air was just as humid as it was outside, but filled with the stench of sweat.

Kakashi had not left his couch since the night before, though he hadn't slept at all and he was soaked in sweat, but had hardly paid any attention. His eyes had been wide open and focused entirely on the fabric on the back of the couch. Memories had flooded his brain and soaked into his blood. They had pumped through his body like venom, making him shake at times and lie as still as a dead body at others.

_They had been dating for nearly six months before Iruka was willing to give himself fully to Kakashi. Thoughts of Mizuki returning to hurt them had plagued him since the teacher had left his former best friend for Kakashi. However, when Mizuki's body had been found in a brothel in the Land of Wind, Iruka had, for the first time in years, felt completely calm and worry-free. Of course, had hadn't told Kakashi that._

_The Jounin had just returned from a mission, D-rank, but one that had cut a whole day out of his time to spend with Iruka. Kicking off his sandals as soon as he'd stepped in through the door, Kakashi had sighed heavily, stumbling towards his bedroom. As soon as he'd seen what lay in his bed though, he'd stopped in his tracks._

"_Hey," Iruka said, smiling. _

_He leaned back against the pillows of Kakashi's bed, completely naked. A book was open in one hand, but he quickly snapped it closed and set it on the bedside table. His hair was down, dark and silky. As he sat up slightly, his thighs rubbed against each other so that they wouldn't open._

"_How was the mission?" he asked._

_In a flash, Kakashi was on the bed, crawling over to his boyfriend. Their open mouths met passionately as Iruka dropped back onto the pillows, one arm flung over the back of Kakashi's neck. Running his hands over Iruka's sides, the Jounin smiled when he heard the teacher moan softly. _

"_Fuck that," Kakashi laughed as he grabbed his boyfriend's hips, pulling him close._

"_Try that again," Iruka laughed, pulling Kakashi's legs apart so the Jounin was straddling him. _

"_Huh?" Kakashi moaned._

_He ground his clothed groin against Iruka's bare one._

"_How about 'fuck me'?" the teacher snickered._

"_Gladly."_

_Licking and nibbling at his boyfriend's ear, Kakashi moved his hands up the body beneath him. He smiled when a loud moan vibrated in his ear and ran his thumbs over Iruka's small nipples. As he threw his head back into the pillows, Iruka's breath caught in his throat and he started panting._

"_Kakashi," he groaned._

"_Shh," the Jounin whispered as he lowered his head to the teacher's chest. _

_He flicked his tongue out, running it roughly over the right nipple, then the left. Iruka thrashed under him, the sounds of pleasure growing louder as Kakashi kept going. _

_Suddenly, Kakashi raised his head, meeting Iruka's gaze. He was panting hard, his face covered in a slight blush. _

"_Tell me what you want."_

_Moaning, Iruka threw his head to one side and closed his eyes. He put his hands on Kakashi's shoulders, pushing him backwards. Kakashi let him do as he wanted, smiling when he realized where Iruka had stopped him. Slowly, the callused hands trailed up the back of Kakashi's neck and rested on top of his head._

"_You have to open your legs first," Kakashi whispered as he placed his own hands on Iruka's knees, pulling them apart. _

_Iruka almost screamed when Kakashi ran his tongue over his manhood. His fingers grasped Kakashi's white hair tightly as the talented appendage moved over him, his breath quickening into a loud pant. He lost all control when Kakashi's mouth closed around him, tongue licking playfully. _

"_Kashi," the teacher groaned, trying to keep his hips still._

"_Yes love?" _

"_Please, just…"_

"_Alright love."_

_Kakashi raised himself up so Iruka could flip over onto his stomach. The teacher glanced over his shoulder and grinned, pulling all of his long hair over the opposite shoulder. Smiling back, Kakashi laid himself flat against Iruka's ass and moaned when Iruka ground against him._

"_Slow down," Kakashi laughed. "I have to prep-"_

_Reaching over to the bedside table, Iruka yanked open the drawer and handed Kakashi a bottle: oil. _

"_You really were ready."_

"_Shut up."_

_Licking his lips, Kakashi opened the bottle and poured the contents onto Iruka's ass. Some of it ran down the teacher's back, the rest in the direction Kakashi had hoped. Standing up on his knees, the Jounin moved his hands down Iruka's lower back, smoothing the oil across the entirety of it. At the same time, he slowly ground against Iruka's ass, earning a satisfying moan. Making circular motions with his palms, Kakashi swirled the oil up to the taut cheeks and squeezed. Iruka bucked against him, groaning loudly. _

"_Calm down, I'm getting there," the Jounin chuckled._

_Spreading the cheeks, Kakashi reached to Iruka's entrance, sliding a wet finger in. Iruka gasped and shuddered, something that picked up after a second finger entered him. _

"_Are you okay?" Kakashi asked, slightly worried._

_Iruka nodded fiercely, pushing against Kakashi's fingers. _

"_Keep… going," the teacher moaned. _

_Slowly, Kakashi slid in a third finger and started to scissor them apart, loud moans and pants filling his ears. When he was satisfied with his work, Kakashi pulled his fingers out. Iruka hissed softly._

"_Sorry," Kakashi murmured as he lay himself flush against Iruka's ass. _

"_Hurry… up!" Iruka shouted, commanding._

_Positioning himself, Kakashi moved in slowly, taking it centimeter by centimeter. Iruka gripped the sheets roughly with his hands as he waited impatiently. He suddenly hissed and drove himself back onto Kakashi, screaming when his perfect spot was hit. _

"_Oh, fuck!" Kakashi moaned as he started to pull out._

_Driving in hard and fast, he gritted his teeth._

"_So hot."_

_That night, Kakashi and Iruka spent themselves dry. The memories of Mizuki that had haunted every thought of sex that Iruka had ever had were wiped away and replaced with much better ones involving his new lover. It was, however, slightly awkward when, the following morning, Kakashi's next door neighbor gave them a glare the likes of which the couple had never seen before._

Hearing a knock at the door, Kakashi rolled off the couch and stood, cursing as he quickly put his mask on. His head ached and pounded as he made his way to the door, throwing it open angrily.

"What the fuck- Oh, hi-"

Gaara stood on the other side of the doorframe, a serious look on his face.

"-Kazekage."

"Can I come in?" Gaara asked.

"Oh, uh, yeah."

Stepping aside, Kakashi let the Suna leader step into his apartment. Gaara looked around the small living room, eyeing the old pillows from the couch that had been thrown haphazardly off of the couch days earlier. He turned to see the mess that littered the kitchen, unwashed bowls and plates stacked up on either side of the sink. It was easy to see that the apartment itself hadn't been aired out or cleaned since Iruka had left it six years earlier. The only breaks in the thin layer of dust that covered everything were the occasional hand or footprints from Kakashi.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Kakashi asked as he closed the door.

"No, I'm fine."

Gaara turned to face the Jounin. He looked just as bad as the apartment and it was clear that he hadn't slept. Heavy lines adorned the skin under his eyes, which were bloodshot. Even his Sharigan eye looked dead, void of any life or emotion except for despair.

"I need to talk to you about something important," the Kazekage said seriously.

"Okay," Kakashi replied.

"Tsunade received a scroll yesterday," Gaara started. He stared at the Jounin, looking for any cracks in the man's cold appearance. "It was from Himura Utake."

"So?" Kakashi asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"He's planning an attack in a week's time. His army is already on its way."

"Fucking bi-"

"-Calm down, Hatake-sensei, please. I need you rational for a second here."

Kakashi swallowed his collection of other insults.

"Now, the only reason I'm even allowed to tell you think is because Naruto and I talked it over with the Hokage and we all agreed that it was the right thing to do. However, we don't want you rushing off for revenge like a wild bastard, okay?"

Nodding, the Jounin collapsed back into the wooden chair behind him.

"We've also agreed that, when Himura does arrive, you will be put on reserve-"

"-Why?"

"Like I said, we don't need you rushing off like an idiot. You may have survived this long, but we can't take chances with you dying on the battlefield. However, if we capture Himura, and, I'm not saying for sure we will, you'll get a crack at him first."

The Jounin took a slow breath, his whole attention focused on the floor beneath him. His breaths were shaky at first, but steadily grew stable and strong. After a minute or so, he raised his gaze to the young Kazekage. A wicked smirk spread across his thin lips, matched by Gaara's own.

"You'd better fucking get me that asshole," the revitalized ninja laughed.

Meanwhile, Neji was standing in his bathroom, facing the mirror. He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes as Minoru crossed his arms over his chest, looking sour.

"What the fuck do you want, Minoru?" Neji asked as he took the metal clasp out of his hair.

"Are you going to tell him about me?" the reflection asked.

"Fuck no! You're a fucking nightmare!" Neji hissed.

He picked up a brush and started to comb it through his hair, getting out a small knot located at the back of his neck. Hissing in pain slightly, he yanked the brush through the knot, hearing a ripping sound.

"Fuck!"

"Watch it," Minoru said. "Don't go abusing your poor scalp."

"Shut up. I don't want to talk to you right now."

"You don't have a choice in this. We need to talk now. It's important."

"Fuck off."

"We need to talk about this or you want Gaara to find out about me the hard way."

Neji slammed his brush down on the counter and leaned in towards the mirror, laying his forehead against it. He glared up at his 2-dimensional twin.

"You wou-"

"-I would and you know it. If you want to hold onto this guy, you're going to have to tell him about me. Otherwise, he's going to get a big fucking surprise when he either sees me moving around on my own or hears me talking. Then he'll probably just think you're a fucking psycho," Minoru hissed.

"I've been hiding you for years!" Neji shouted, slamming the brush down again. "Why do you want to suddenly reveal yourself to world?"

"It's only your fucking boyfriend, not the world."

"It might as well be. I never even told Father about you!"

"Only because your mother said not to! She's been dead for years as well as your dad. It's time to break away."

"No!" Neji screamed, backing away from the mirror. "No! No! No! No! No!"

"It's time to tell-"

"-There's no fucking way that I'm doing that! I'm not going to ruin-"

"-It's better to be honest than to hide it!" Minoru shouted back. "If he doesn't appreciate that at least, he's not worth it."

Narrowing his eyes into a glare, Neji clenched his hands into fists. He raised the hand that held the brush as though he was going to throw it, shaking with anger and fear. Then, he suddenly lowered it and threw the brush on the counter. Turning, he stormed out of the bathroom, leaving Minoru to stare after him.

Himura Utake's army had been granted passage through one of the smaller countries that shared a border with the Land of Fire. As they marched, their leader, Lord Himura Utake of the Land of Snow examined the landscape.

"My lord?" one of his retainers asked.

"I hate this god forsaken place," Himura snapped. "I hate this god damn heat. I just want to annihilate it."

"We'll be in the Fire Country soon, Sir. It's only a matter of days," the retainer replied.

"I still hate every scrap of this damn place."

"Save your energy for the battle. You'll need it if we're going to catch the Ookami they have."

Himura sneered.

"That's true. This will be a tough one."

He glanced at the retainer and frowned.

"We'd better not have the same thing happen as last time. It took us five years to recover from that fiasco."

"I assure you Sir, we won't."

"Don't be so sure when we don't even know the Ookami's human name. It'll take time and effort to locate him and then get him way from the village. After what happened with Fuyu, they're not going to let this one go so easily."

The retainer nodded and sighed. "We have a special team on it, my Lord. He will be found."

"You'd better. I don't want to lose an Ookami of one of the direct lines. You don't find them often. Fuyu may be lost, but this one will be mine."

The Land of Rice was quiet as the sun started to set. Along the edge of a rice patty, four wolves, an unusual enough sight with just one, ran at full speed. All four of them were large for their species. Even the smallest of them, a gray, was a good four feet in height and six feet long. Each had a different fur and eye color, ranging from the steely gray at the back of the group to the gold beast that led them. Two, the gold and the gray, were male and the other two were female.

They ran for several more miles before the gold slowed into a trot beside a large tree. He wound around it, his tail flicking back and forth slightly. The others growled slightly up at the bark of the tree as the gold sat beside it, his dark gaze focusing on one of the females. The female, a red wolf very close to the size of the gold, returned their leader's curious gaze and growled low in her throat.

Sitting back on her haunches, the red seemed to stretch upwards through her spine, growing as she stood up straight on her back legs. Her body shifted and morphed, the bones changing under the layers of skin and muscle. Her mussel shrunk back into her face, forming a human face. The red fur on the top of her head was replaced by a wave of blond human hair. When the transformation was done, all that remained of her wolf form was the long red tail that swished behind her, the claws that adorned her fingers, and the furred points to her ears.

Reaching up, she clawed away at the bark on the tree, revealing the light-colored wood underneath. She curled four of her fingers in, leaving only the pointer finger extended. Carving into the wood, she sent a dirty glare at the gold wolf. When she was finished, she examined her handiwork and nodded. She quickly bent over, the vertebra of her spine snapping as the bones quickly morphed. In a matter of seconds, she had returned to her wolf form. Standing up, the gold wolf gave her a quick nod and they all took off running again. The marking had been made, a warning to any other Ookami in the area to be cautious and wary. It read that trouble was rising.

**Phew, that was a long one. I hope that the part about the Ookami wasn't too confusing, though it was partially meant to be. There has to be a bit of suspense. Again, thanks to all that have reviewed this story. The support has been great.**

**Preview: Iruka and Shinobu reach the Land of Water. Gaara wonders if there's something wrong with his boyfriend. Kankuro finds his courage.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary: Iruka and Shinobu reach the Land of Water. Gaara wonders if there's something wrong with his boyfriend. Kankuro finds his courage, though he does need a slight push.**

Chapter 6

It was early morning by the time Iruka and Shinobu reached the Land of Water. Stepping onto the land, Iruka quickly found his way to a dirt road, following it west. Shinobu was asleep again on his back, his cheek resting on his father's shoulder.

The walk was painful. His store of chakra was almost completely gone, replaced by an aching sleepiness. Yet, he pressed on, making his stride longer than normal only in an effort to keep himself awake. Several times, he found himself starting to drift off to sleep, his head lower to rest against his chest before violently shaking himself awake.

"Papa?" Shinobu asked about a half hour into the walk.

"Yeah?" Iruka replied, shocked awake from his nearly asleep state.

"How far is it?" the boy asked.

He nuzzled his face into the crook of Iruka's neck.

"To the Land of Fire? Another few days yet."

"No. I meant til you get to sleep, Papa."

Iruka smiled a little and nudged at his son's head with his jaw.

"Don't worry about me," he whispered, feeling a sudden burst of energy entering his system. "I'll be fine. The more I walk, the sooner we see Chichi."

"Do you want to see Chichi too, Papa?" Shinobu asked quietly.

"Of course I do," Iruka replied. "I've been waiting to see your Chichi since before you were born."

"Why did you wait?"

"I had to. Things happened and it was impossible for me to go home."

"What happened?"

"You know what happened Shinobu."

"Tell me again, Papa."

"Not now."

"Please, Papa."

"How about I tell you a story about your brother?"

"Naruto-nii-san?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

'What is he doing?' Gaara wondered.

He'd arrived at Neji's house early in the morning in order to avoid the majority of the Hyuuga Clan. A half-naked Neji, clad only in loose pajama pants, had greeted him at the door, yawning. Now, he sat in the living room, waiting for his boyfriend to emerge from the bathroom.

Standing up, Gaara silently walked over to the bathroom door and pressed his ear against it. A frown formed on his face when he heard Neji whispering to himself.

'Is he okay?'

Tapping on the door, he asked this question aloud.

"Yes! I'm fine! I'll be out in a minute!"

Shrugging, the Kazekage returned to his seat on the other side of the room to wait. Sighing, he intertwined his fingers and set them in his lap, sliding down against the back of the chair.

It was another several minutes before the bathroom door opened and Neji walked out, softly cursing to himself about something that Gaara couldn't quite make out. He was dressed in his usual tan attire and sandals, his hair pulled back into the small metal clasp that hung at the middle of his back. His face was framed by two clumps of hair that were cut shorter than the rest of it.

"Are you ready to go?" Gaara asked, standing up.

Nodding, Neji walked over to his boyfriend and kissed him chastely.

"The others won't wait long," he said as he headed towards the door.

Smiling, Gaara followed the smaller Hyuuga, thinking, 'Maybe he's just a bit more vocal than I thought.'

Kankuro was waiting at the training grounds where the Hokage, the Kazekage, and various other ninja of all three ranks were to meet in less than ten minutes. He gulped loudly, a nervous twitch settling in his stomach. Clenching his teeth, the puppeteer tried to keep his gaze forward, though, no matter what he did, it always drifted to his left.

'Shit,' he thought as he glanced at the man who was standing not too far from him. 'He's here early. Shit. Why does he have to be so adorable?'

Kiba was running his fingers through Akamaru's fur and laughing at the dog whenever his tail started to thump back and forth wildly on the ground. Trying to drag himself away from the scene, Kankuro bit his thumb hard, drawing blood. Cursing softly, he wiped the red liquid on his jacket to try and get it to stop.

"Don't do that! Here."

Kiba was suddenly right next to him and grabbing his hand. Stiffening, Kankuro stared down at the Inuzuka as he cleaned the blood with a small piece of cotton that he'd retrieved from his pocket. He gulped again and looked away. Seeing this, Kiba pinched the puppeteer in the side.

"What the hell was that for?" the Suna ninja shouted.

"Don't ignore me when I'm trying to help you, idiot," Kiba snarled as he pressed the cloth down on the small wound.

Snorting, Kankuro tried to turn away again, but this time, the Inuzuka grabbed his chin and forced it back to look at him. They were almost the same height and of a similar burly build, much larger and more muscular than most of their leaner counterparts. Ignoring the want to throw the Kohona ninja over one of the nearby logs and fuck him right there, Kankuro knocked Kiba's hand away.

"Don't touch me," he hissed as the contact with Kiba's skin sent a jolt down to his groin.

"Coward," Kiba muttered.

"What did you just say?" Kankuro asked.

"I called you a coward because that's what you are," Kiba sighed.

"How the hell am I a coward?" the puppeteer shouted.

"You have got the guts to ask me out," Kiba muttered as Akamaru came over to them, growling in agreement.

"What?"

Kankuro felt his blood freeze in his veins. Did Kiba know about his feelings or was he just playing with him?

"You heard me. I've known about how you feel for a while now. It's fairly obvious. Forget it. Forget I said anything."

Suddenly, the puppeteer's blood started to flow again, throwing him out of his shock. He straightened up as Kiba turned his back on him. As quick as a tiger leaping on its prey, he grabbed the Inuzuka by the arm and hauled him back. Spinning the other ninja around to face him, Kankuro rested his thumb on Kiba's chin, his other fingers stroking his throat lightly.

"Will you go out with me?" he suddenly asked, a fire igniting in his stomach.

A little shocked Kiba opened his mouth to answer.

"You guys are here early!"

Both ninjas turned to see Shikamaru and Temari walking towards them. Smiling at her brother, Temari nodded a hello to Kiba, while Shikamaru maintained his typical bored look.

"Don't sound so surprised," Kankuro muttered as he released Kiba.

"We aren't. What we are surprised by is that you finally had the balls to do it, Kankuro," Shimaru replied, sighing somewhat.

Both Kankuro and Kiba blushed slightly, looking away from each other.

"I had to push him into it," Kiba muttered.

"What was that?" Shikamaru asked.

"I had to push him into it," Kiba replied louder.

Shikamaru and Temari looked at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Shut up!" Kankuro shouted, about ready to kick his sister and her boyfriend.

"Calm down, you lot!" Tsunade called as she and Shizune approached them. "We have business to attend to when the others get here."

**Wow. I think this is the shortest of all of my chapters so far. I'm sorry that not a lot happened, but these parts were essentially to the progression of the story. I needed to establish that Iruka is getting closer to Kohona while Gaara is starting to notice Neji's odd behavior because of Minoru. The last part was mostly for fun, as I really love the idea of KankuroxKiba. So adorable. **

**Preview (this is of course, subject to change): Neji, Kakashi, and the others receive orders from Tsunade and Gaara. Iruka runs into trouble. **


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary: Neji, Kakashi, and the others receive orders from Tsunade and Gaara. Iruka runs into some trouble. **

Chapter 7

Everyone was gathered at the training grounds, waiting to hear from the two leaders. Tsunade and Gaara stood at the head of the group, talking quietly to each other. Neji and his former teammates Shino and Hinata stood quietly off to one side with Shikamaru and the other Chuunin of their graduating class. Even Naruto and Kiba were silent, though, on the Inuzuka's part, this may have had something to do with the slightly compromising situation that Temari and Shikamaru had found him in when they'd arrived at the training grounds. Not all the far away, Kankuro was chatting with some other Suna ninja that had arrived earlier than morning. Kakashi and some of the older ninja stood in a group all to themselves, silent.

Finally, Gaara and Tsunade turned to face the group.

"As some of you are aware, Lord Himura Utake of the Land of Snow is marching towards Kohona with an army of several hundred," Tsunade said slowly.

A ripple passed among the ninja as they whispered exclamations of surprise to each other.

"So the bastard is finally willing to show his face," Kiba muttered from behind Neji.

"Because of the… delicate nature of this matter, all of the Genin will be placed in a reserve team led by Kakashi if a battle should arise," the Hokage continued. "The rest of you, myself and the Kazekage included as well as the other Suna ninja, will be the main fighting force. We will be outnumbered, but Gaara and I will attempt to keep this threat at bay for as long as possible through diplomatic means. We don't want an unnecessary fight."

"It isn't unnecessary!" one of the older Jounin hissed. "That fucking bastard needs to be put in his place for all the shit he's done!"

"I know what you mean, but this has to be avoided at all costs. There's a very slim chance of us winning, even with ninja as skilled as we have," Gaara said calmly.

"We'll be split into five teams. Temari, Shikamaru, and Neji will be the leaders of three of them and select four ninja from among you to work with, as well as two Suna ninja. The rest of you, Kakashi excluded of course, will be divided up between the larger teams that Gaara and I will be working with. Don't worry; the Ino-Shika-Cho won't be split up. Just the rest of you will. The Kazekage has also assured me that there are other Suna ninja waiting on standby if we have need of more."

All of the other ninja nodded in agreement.

"Gaara and I will be at my office if anyone has any complaints, questions, or concerns. We'll leave you to your decision making."

As the two military leaders disappeared into clouds of smoke, the rest of the ninja glanced at each other. The Suna Jounin gravitated towards Temari and Kankuro as was expected.

Stepping forward, Temari said, "I guess that I'll pick first since two of Shikamaru's teammates have already been selected. Shino, Guy-sensei, Lee, and Tenten, you're also with me."

The first group all nodded and followed their blond leader from the training grounds. Two Suna Jounin were not far behind, having been selected specifically by Gaara for his sister's team after they'd arrived in Kohona. Sighing, Shikamaru bowed his head for a moment, scratching his neck.

"Ino, Choji, you're obviously on my team," the bored-sounding ninja said. "I'll also take Kiba and Kankuro."

The two burly men glanced at each other and shrugged, trying to hide their obvious embarrassment as they trailed after a smirking Shikamaru.

Neji was last to pick. Fighting down the slight feeling of nervousness he felt, he looked around at the remaining ninja that were assembled.

"Kurenai-sensei, Hinata, Naruto, and Sakura," he said slowly.

"Good choice," Naruto laughed, clapping his friend on the back.

"Thank god we didn't get stuck with the young ones," one of the other Jounin muttered under his breath as Neji turned away.

"Don't be so jealous," Kurenai said as she strode over to Neji's side.

"I'm not at all," the other Jounin laughed.

Keeping his invisible mask in place, Neji sighed a little and led his team away. Sensing his nervousness, Hinata gave him a slight smile, her head somewhat bowed. Neji rolled his eyes and tapped the back of his cousin's leg with his foot lightly. Any emotions that were normally unusual for the stoic Hyuuga were gone.

"Papa!" Shinobu screamed.

He was being carried away by a huge man and, despite his best attempts; the small child was unable to break free of the man's iron grip. His dark eyes were wide with fear as he watched his father fighting against a group of six men. Digging his claws into the man's shoulder, Shinobu struggled and screamed again.

"Papa!"

"Shinobu!" Iruka howled back as he saw his son being carried away.

The fight had started when Iruka and Shinobu had arrived in a small town along the western coast of the Land of Water. It was their second day in the country, having stopped the night before at a cottage they'd found on the side of the road. The elderly woman who lived there had let them stay for the night in exchange for them hunting for their dinner: a small wild boar. As soon as the sun had risen the following day, just like that had at the bar in the Land of Snow, the father and son were on the road again.

It was nearing sundown when Iruka and Shinobu had neared the coastal town. Sensing high levels of chakra from up ahead, Iruka had ducked into the wilderness and snuck up to the edge of the town. It was heavily guarded by Kirigakure shinobi, a fact that had almost deterred him from his original plan of taking a boat across the sea to the Land of Fire. However, after carefully examining any other options, the former teacher realized that he had no other choice. His chakra levels were still far too low to make the trip by walking and he didn't want to put Shinobu in any unnecessary danger. Even if he had rested long enough to recover his energy, he knew that it was just as dangerous for him to rest or sleep out in the open. Bandits could attack them, or even a missing-nin. His son's life mattered too much to him to take that chance so he opted instead for the only remaining option he had: sneaking into the town.

As soon as night had fallen, Iruka sprung into action. With Shinobu settled onto his back, he'd silently darted to the base of the wall that surrounded the town. He hid in the shadows as he waited for one of the guards to pass above him on the walkway. Charging a small amount of chakra into his feet and hands, Iruka easily scaled the wall, keeping his body flush against it. Nearing the top of the wall, he stopped and allowed the next guard to pass before hopping up onto the walkway and down to the ground on the other side. He landed softly on the ground and looked around to see if anyone had seen him. Sensing that no one except for the shinobi on the wall was nearby, he casually stood and walked past the first row of houses.

Suddenly, a loud ringing sounded, alerting the shinobi on top of the walls. Cursing, Iruka took off down the street as the ninja leapt down around him.

"What is that, Papa?" Shinobu asked as they ran, glancing over his shoulder at the ninja that pursued them.

"An alarm," Iruka explained as he sprinted between the houses. "Hang on Shinobu!" he shouted.

A ninja was coming straight at him, kunai drawn back, ready to be thrown. Waiting until the last second, Iruka leapt forward, sailing over the knife. His knee connected with the ninja's face, breaking the man's nose cleanly. Smirking, Iruka landed softly on the dirt road and took off again.

"Get back here, mother fucker!"

"Like shit I am!"

Glancing around, Iruka realized that he was surrounded.

'Fuck. My skills are rusty,' he thought as the Kirigakure ninja tightened in around him.

A flash of silver attracted his attention and he ducked just in time for a volley of shurikan to fly over his head, narrowly missing the tips of his hair.

"Keep your head low!" Iruka shouted to his son as he straightened up again.

As another wave of chakra charged shurikan came at him, Iruka formed the necessary hand seal and disappeared into a puff of smoke, a log replacing his body.

"Find them!"

Hunkering down in the shadows behind a small building nearby, Iruka smirked and let Shinobu down. He motioned for her son to be quiet and to stay there before sneaking down the alley towards one of the roads. Peaking his head around the house at the end of the dark alley, Iruka stepped onto the dirt, sneaking a few blocks down the road.

"Come and get me, assholes!" he shouted as he stepped out of the shadows.

He was suddenly surrounded. Sneering, Iruka motioned for them to come at him, his teeth elongating into shining fangs. They sprung at him, directing all sorts of attacks at his head, knees, and stomach. Directing a sudden blast of chakra into his feet, the former teacher dodged each of them, even delivering a few hits of his own. Five years of living in the wild had forced the Chunnin to increase his speed and strength at a rate that his previous years of training paled into comparison to.

"Papa!"

"Shinobu!"

Rage scorched through his entire body as a deep seeded ancient power rose up, breaking through the harsh control that Iruka usually kept over it. His eyes burned bright blue as his nail hardened into long, black claws that curved like a dog's. A loud growl ripped from his throat as he buried a handful of claws into the neck of one of the ninjas, ripping through skin and flesh. Blood spilled everywhere as the man tried to pry the enraged Iruka off of him, screaming for help. The others rushed to his aid, but were viciously attacked next by a whirlwind of claws and fangs.

"Get that fucking kid back here!" one of the shinobi screamed as a chunk of ice smashed into the side of his face.

Iruka stood at the center of a circle of shinobi, down on all fours. His lips were pulled back, revealing two rows of sharp fangs, and his fingers dug into the earth of the road. Ice blue eyes gazed at each shinobi in turn, filled with the kind of judgmental rage that only someone who had lost everything could give. He was still dressed in his dark clothing that had somehow remained completely unscathed and free of rips. The tips of his ears were pointed and tipped with dark fur.

"Calm down, we'll return him to you," one of the ninja murmured, hands held out in a submissive way.

Snarling, the former teacher turned towards him, the unusually long, black tail swishing slightly as he did. The ninja who'd spoken gulped and took and tentative step back as he met the terrifying gaze.

"Papa!" Shinobu shouted, the giant burly man setting the boy down.

Rushing over, the little boy wrapped his arms around his father's neck as he was pulled into a tight embrace. Falling back onto the dirt, Iruka lay down and held his son like he was the last thing on earth. His claws had been sheathed in order to prevent any injuries to the small boy.

"Papa!" Shinobu cried into his father's shoulder, his whole body shaking.

Squeezing his eyes tight, Iruka kissed the top of the boy's head, petting his short, white hair.

"Are you okay?" the former teacher asked quietly as he opened his eyes again, looking down at Shinobu.

The small boy nodded, but didn't pull away. Sitting up, Iruka reached his tail around his body and intertwined it with his son's own white one. Shinobu's claws, completely unsheathed and covered in the burly man's blood, dug into the back of his shoulders. Iruka ignored the slight twinge of pain in his shoulder and hummed softly, rocking his son back and forth.

"Excuse me."

Iruka looked up, his eyes still bright blue.

"What are you?" one of the ninja asked.

The shinobi that surrounded him still kept their distance, even after the half-wolf Iruka smiled.

"A traveler just trying to get home."

**I absolutely love this chapter. So much happens despite only having two parts to it. **

**Preview: Iruka faces some tough questioning. Pakkun senses something coming. Daiki and the other Ookami make their way through the Land of Lightning.**


	9. Chapter 8

**By the way, sorry about the mass reposting of chapters. I accidentally deleted the prologue so the order was way out of whack. I had to report them to get it in the right order.**

**Summary: Iruka faces some tough questioning. Pakkun senses something coming. The four Ookami reach the Land of Fire.**

Chapter 8

"I'll ask one more time: who are you?"

"I told you, I'm just a traveler trying to get home."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I think it does."

"Don't get so cocky you-"

The door to the small room opened and another shinobi stepped in, closing it silently behind him. He walked over to stand with the other Kirigakure ninja, facing Iruka. The former teacher was tied to a chair by thick, heavy strands of chakra that wound around his chest, arms, wrists, and shins. His hair had been let down so that it flowed over his shoulders with ease. Before being tied up, he had returned to his full human form, making his tail and claws disappear. His ears were back to their round, fur-less shape, but his eyes had retained their ice blue color.

"You're a Konohagakure ninja," the second shinobi said, holding up Iruka's hitai-ate. "We found this while searching your bag."

"So you're a missing-nin," the other ninja sneered.

"No, I'm not," Iruka replied calmly. "I am a ninja of Kohona who has been unable to return home for nearly six years."

"Six years? That's an awfully long time for a missing-nin to be on the loose. Usually, they're caught before then. Kohona must be getting soft," the first ninja laughed.

"I assure you, they haven't," Iruka hissed.

"Aw, so defensive of the village he left behind!"

"I have a question," the second ninja said as he tossed the hitai-ate onto a table that stood in the corner.

"You can give it, but I may not answer it," the former teacher muttered.

"Who is the kid?"

"You wouldn't dare touch-"

"-We won't, don't worry. All we need to know is who the kid is."

"He's my son. What else do you need to know?"

Iruka's eyes narrowed into a fierce glare.

"Who is his mother?"

"He doesn't have one."

"That's hard to believe. Whether or not she's dead, he must have one."

"Shinobu doesn't."

Sighing, the second ninja turned to the first, shaking his head.

"It's been five hours already. I think this is useless," he said.

"The guy is a fucking missing-"

"-I'm not-"

"-nin. We can't just let it slide."

"No, you're right," the second shinobi said. "Take him-"

An explosion rocked the house, knocking the two shinobi and Iruka's chair over. The former teacher shuddered as the back of his head hit the floor hard. As the building shook and rumbled, the two ninja tried to scramble to their feet, but, following a loud crack, the roof collapsed in on them, barely missing Iruka. Eyes wide, the former teacher struggled against the restraints.

"Papa!" Shinobu shouted as he ran into the remains of the room.

"What did you do?" Iruka growled, though not in a threatening way.

"I just struck the roof a couple of times," the small boy replied as he pulled on the cords of chakra.

When they released his father, the boy stepped back, gazing at Iruka as he stood.

"Good job," Iruka said, smiling.

Picking up Shinobu, Iruka quickly ran out of the ruined building, dodging frightened ninja on his way out. He sprinted towards the place where he knew the docks would be, the shouts of confusion following him. Reaching the docks, he quickly threw Shinobu into one of the small boats and climbed in after him, releasing the rope that tied the boat to the dock and pushing them away from the docks.

"There they are!" he heard someone shout from a ways off.

Iruka grit his teeth and let chakra freely flow into his arm muscles, grabbing the two oars that were positioned on either side of the small boat. Dipping them into the water, he pulled as quickly as he could, sending the skiff flying forward over the water. With the grace of a professional, Iruka got them away from the Land of Water as quickly as they could, soaring into the open sea. Before the Kirigakure ninja could assemble their teams into any sort of boat, the father and son had disappeared into the open water.

Kakashi's pack of ninja dogs were in the backyard of the former Hayate Clan compound. Piled on top of one another, the dogs slept soundly. A few even snored loudly. At the top of the heap was Pakkun. He, however, was not asleep. His round, dark eyes were focused upward on the stars above, a somewhat confused look on his face.

Leaping down from the pile of dogs, the small pug made his way through the yard before hopping up onto the wooden fence that surrounded it. He sat down, his eyes still lifted upwards.

"What's wrong?" one of the other dogs asked.

Pakkun glanced back at his pack mate, snorting softly.

"I woke you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Turning his gaze forward, Pakkun sighed, "It's the damn Ookami. They're coming this way."

"They are? Why?" the other dog asked, leaping up onto the fence beside Pakkun.

"Didn't you feel that release of energy just now?" Pakkun asked. "It was too full of nature's power to be from any ninja."

"I did, but I never thought that they would be coming here," the other dog replied. "They're rarely ever in the Land of Fire."

"Yes, but I can feel them even now. Smell the air. It's soaked with this scent."

"You're right. I can sense… six of them, though four of the scents are much stronger than the other two. Do you think they're going to come to the village?"

"There's a high likelihood of that," Pakkun said. "I think they're coming to meet Himura Utake."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's just a feeling, but its one that's set deep in my bones."

Meanwhile, the four Ookami were still running. Their pace had picked up since they'd felt the two bursts of ancient energy coming from the east several hours earlier. They knew that if there were other Ookami around, even if they were across the sea, their mission was in jeopardy of failing. Their race couldn't afford to lose two more.

When they reached the border of the Land of Fire, the group of wolves skidded to a stop to rest. Plopping down beside the river, the gold wolf yawned loudly. He stretched his aching muscles and growled with annoyance when he felt a slight prick of pain in one leg. The two youngest wolves, the gray and the black, dove into the water, chasing each other. Snorting, the red female hopped up onto a nearby rock to keep watch.

Curling his tail up to his body, the gold rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes. The red watched him for a moment as he fell asleep before turning back to look into the trees on the other side of the river. Shifting her body slightly, the red pricked her ears forward. She growled softly. Something was there.

Jumping down from her perch, the red signaled to the younger wolves to stay on their side of the river before she waded into the water. As she trotted up onto the bank on the other side, she didn't bother to shake her fur, letting it stick to her skin. Quickly, she made her way through the trees with her head lowered.

In a matter of minutes, she came upon a camp of soldiers. Crouching, the red wolf carefully stepped forward to the ring of trees that encircled the camp, stopping just a few yards from the edge. A few men, the night guards, she guessed, were sitting around a few small fires throughout the camp, their weapons lying at their sides.

"We'll be there in a matter of days," one of the soldiers laughed as he raised a mug of alcohol. "Hail to the might of Himura Utake."

"All hail!" the other men at his fire shouted before the sound of clanking metal filled the air.

"Kohona will fall to his might!" another called.

"All hail!" the others cried again.

"We'll find that Ookami bastard and take it for all it's wealth!"

"All hail."

Growling to herself, the red slinked away from the camp, breaking into a full out run when she was out of earshot. Reaching the river bank, she dove into the cold water with all of her strength, kicking fiercely at the water. On the opposite bank, the other three wolves, including the gold, watched her carefully. Sensing her fear and anger, they twitched slightly where they sat. They knew that it wasn't good news.

**Alright, another fairly short one, but that is okay! The next one will be much longer and I hope to have it up by the end of the day today. It'll be a really good one, I promise. **

**Preview: Kakashi wrestles with his hatred. News of an unknown leaf ninja fighting in the Land of Water reaches Tsunade. Gaara and Neji decide that, with the coming threat, its either now or possibly never.**


	10. Chapter 9

**Haha! This chapter is finally here. I am really excited about this one and you will see why. There is Yaoi in this chapter. **

**Summary: Kakashi wrestles with his hatred. News of an unknown leaf ninja fighting in the Land of Water reaches Tsunade. Gaara and Neji decide that, with the coming threat, its either now or possibly never.**

Chapter 9

Anger boiled deep in his veins as Kakashi left the training area. He had spent the majority of the day training the Genin, though that was far what was making him angry. One of the young ninja had mistakenly said Himura Utake's name during their session, throwing the Jounin into a fit of rage that he fought to keep down for nearly two hours. Now that they were done, he stalked off to find a way to keep his feelings in check.

Kakashi hated the emotion that was twisting in his gut, causing him to feel almost nauseous. When he'd been younger and in ANBU, he'd wielded his dislike for humanity was ease, but this intense hatred he felt for Himura Utake was something that was eating away at him. The feeling of self-hatred that it brought had nothing to do with hating the man himself. For that he felt no remorse. It was all because of what had led to his hatred for the man. Kakashi had thought that he'd put all of his abhorrence aside when he'd left ANBU, an idea that became even more pronounced after he'd started to date Iruka. But Iruka's abduction and disappearance had brought the scarecrow's bitterness back and Kakashi hated himself for not being able to protect his beloved better.

Hissing a curse under his breath, Kakashi quickly made his way back to his apartment, unlocking and throwing the door open with great force. Kicking off his sandals, the ninja slammed the door shut and stormed into the bedroom. He stopped in the doorway, his fury slowly ebbing.

He had lived in the second-story apartment for much of his life, having moved out of the Hatake family compound after his father had passed. For much of that time, he had been alone, but, after six months of dating, the night that he and Iruka had first made love, he'd asked the teacher to move in with him. Iruka had happily accepted and moved this belongings into the Hatake's apartment the following day. After Iruka had been kidnapped, Kakashi had refused to throw out or move any of the Chuunin's things. His friends had deemed him hopeless after the second year and gave up on trying to force the Jounin to move on.

Silently stepping into the bedroom, Kakashi slowly slid the closet door open, staring at the dust covered clothes that hung on the right side. Every shirt was a dark color, usually gray or black, making the dust stand out easily. Taking out his lover's favorite t-shirt, the Jounin sat down on the bed behind him, sighing. He ran his fingers over the fabric before letting his face drop into his other hand.

Tsunade was sitting at her desk when Shizune walked in with a strange look on her face. Frowning at her assistant, Tsunade waited for the smaller woman to speak.

"A ninja from Kirigakure just delivered this," Shizune said, holding the scroll out to the Hokage. "He said it was of extreme importance."

"Did he say what it pertained to?" Tsunade asked as she unrolled the thick paper.

Reading it, her eyebrows slowly lowered into a mixture of surprise and fear. Slamming it down on her desk, she flicked her gaze up to Shizune, who shuffled her feet slightly.

"Did he give any more information about this?" Tsunade murmured.

Her voice shook as she spoke. Shizune nodded.

"He said the missing-nin had dark hair and a long scar over his nose-"

"-And his eyes-"

"-That's the problem." Shizune started to tear up. "He said that the man's eyes were bright blue, not brown."

"Fuck!" Tsunade screamed, throwing the scroll against the wall.

As it clattered to the floor, she flung herself back into her chair, a hand covering her eyes.

"Fuck," she repeated, slamming her other hand on the desk. "It's not Iruka."

"I don't think so either," her assistant whispered. "The way the ninja described him, I was sure it was him. That is, until he mentioned the eye color. Iruka never had power of that kind or magnitude either. No ninja I've ever heard of has before."

"But he's still headed in this direction, yes?" the Hokage asked.

Nodding, Shizune asked, "Do you want me to alert the guards about him?"

Tsunade shook her head. "We don't want Kakashi finding out and jumping to conclusions. I'd rather not give the man a false hope."

Leaning forward, Tsunade rested her arms on the desk, holding them at a 90 degree angle. Her forehead dropped to the wood, hitting it softly as she rested her head. A hand, Shizune's, snuck up to stroke the Hokage's blond hair, tears streaming down the assistant's face.

Gaara was sitting in his apartment, alone. Earlier that evening, Kankuro had silently left from the balcony, leaping up onto the rooftops. The younger Sabaku had smiled at his brother's back when he'd left. Gaara knew exactly where Kankuro was headed. Shikamaru had sent him a note detailing the puppeteer's plans with his new boyfriend.

Hearing a knock at the door, the Kazekage looked up from the mug of tea he was drinking. He set it aside as he headed for the door, slowly pulling it open. Neji was there, waiting for him.

Smiling, Gaara asked, "Hey, what brings you here?"

"I thought you may be lonely," the Hyuuga said, flashing a grin as he stepped into the apartment.

"You heard about my brother and Kiba too, huh?" Gaara laughed, following Neji into the living room.

"Yeah, from Hinata, no less. He supposedly asked her to help him pick out clothes to wear."

"So that Dog really does care."

"Oh yes," Neji said as he flopped down on the couch. "There's no midway point for Kiba. It's either he's all in, or all out."

Laughing, Gaara sat down next to his boyfriend, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Well, thank you for being so thoughtful," he said, kissing Neji lightly on the cheek.

Reaching over, Neji grabbed the back of Gaara's neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Sliding his tongue into Neji's mouth, Gaara gripped Neji's hip tightly and yanked him onto his lap. The Hyuuga let his legs slip open so he was straddling his boyfriend. As he ran his rough tongue over the ridges of the ceiling of Neji's hot mouth, Gaara smiled, hearing a soft growl of pleasure emanate from his love's chest.

"Gaara," Neji said softly, pulling away slightly.

The Kazekage frowned as he looked up at the smaller man.

"Is everything okay?" Gaara asked.

He ran his fingers through one of the hunks of hair that lined Neji's face. The Hyuuga shook his head slightly.

"I'm worried."

"About what?"

"The battle with Utake."

"Why?"

Raising his gaze to Gaara's, Neji sighed softly and coaxed Gaara into a strong hug.

"Are you worried that you're going to die?" the Kazekage asked.

"A little," Neji admitted.

"You won't."

Gaara pulled away and, reaching up, he untied the knot at the back of Neji's head, letting the hitai-ate fall into has lap. He leaned forward slightly, kissing the mark on his boyfriend's forehead.

"I won't let you."

"I'm still worried. I just have this feeling."

"I never knew that you were one to follow your feelings, Neji," Gaara teased as he kissed the bridge of Neji's nose.

"I usually don't," Neji said, his breath hitching in his throat as Gaara kissed his neck.

"Then don't think about it. You'll be fine. If you're in trouble, I'll find you," the Kazekage purred into the Hyuuga's skin.

"Gaara?"

"Yes?"

"Would you-"

"Yes?"

"Would you make love to me?"

That grabbed Gaara's attention in a split second. Grabbing Neji's arms, the Kazekage brought his face up to the Hyuuga's, staring straight into his white eyes.

'Stop. Thinking. Like. That," he hissed.

"I'm sorry," Neji murmured, laying his marked forehead against Gaara's. "I just don't want to die without having done it first."

"You're not going to die."

"It'll calm me down."

"I thought we decided that we were going to take it slow."

"Don't you want to have sex with me?"

"I do, idiot! I just don't want you to feel pressured into it."

It was Neji's turn to get a bit angry. Lifting his forehead away from Gaara, the smaller man growled deep in his throat. It almost sounded like that of a wild animal.

"I'm not feeling pressure, you moron. I just feel that I'm ready."

"We've been dating for three days."

"And I can guarantee you that your brother is fucking Kiba's ass right now. I actually saw them practically humping each other in an alley on the way here."

"Don't compare me to my brother," Gaara muttered.

"I'm not," Neji sighed, rolling his eyes. Planting a soft kiss on Gaara's lips, he added, "Worry about the future just made me really horny."

Gaara stiffed when Neji rubbed his lower body against his. Moaning slightly, he let his head drift back, opening his neck to Neji's wandering mouth. The Hyuuga smiled and trailed his tongue down the Kazekage's neck before nipping at his collarbone.

"Neji," Gaara moaned as he yanked his boyfriend away from his neck.

"Why did you stop-"

Neji cried out when Gaara licked his hard nipple through his shirt. Panting, he arched his back into Gaara's mouth, grinding hard against his boyfriend's stomach. Gaara gripped Neji's hip hard with one hand as the other tore his shirt off, exposing the Hyuuga's pale chest. Purring, he latched onto the nipple again, pushing it back and forth with his tongue.

Moaning loudly, Neji unzipped Gaara's red jacket. Hissing in dissatisfaction that he had to let go of Neji's hip, the Kazekage allowed his boyfriend to slip the jacket off of his shoulders. Neji smiled as he tossed the jacket away before starting to work on Gaara's shirt, throwing that in the same general direction. He moaned again when the tongue flitted over to the other side of his chest, caressing.

Suddenly, he felt a hand nudging the front of his pants and, arching back, Neji howled. Gaara's grip tightened as he massaged Neji with his the base of his palm, feeling himself grow hard. He smiled when he felt Neji's own hand dip down to his, pressing it in harder.

"Do you want more?" Gaara asked, nipping at the small dip between Neji's pectoral muscles.

The Hyuuga nodded wildly and, in response, Gaara slowly and somewhat torturously, unzipped the man's pants, all the while massaging Neji with his remaining fingers. Bucking against Gaara's hand, Neji moaned loudly and was almost tempted to just shove his pants and underwear down as fast as possible.

However, Gaara beat him to it. When the black cotton of Neji's boxers were resting at the crook of his knees, the Suna ninja finally lowered his gaze from his lover's face. He grinned and quickly yanked the Hyuuga's pants and boxers completely free, chucking them into the same pile where their shirts lay. The hand that he held at Neji's hip slipped around the smaller man to his ass, caressing it lightly. Panting hard, Neji pressed back against the callused hand, giving Gaara a better view of his front.

"Gaara," the Hyuuga cried as the Kazekage slowly lifted Neji up so he was standing on his knees.

"Shh, love," Gaara cooed.

Slipping down between Neji's legs, Gaara smiled up at his boyfriend before he took him in his mouth. Neji gasped and bucked against him, but Gaara grabbed his hip to hold him stead. The other hand was still on the Hyuuga's ass, kneading it. Groaning loudly, Neji let his head fall back as Gaara's tongue swept over him, driving him closer to the edge. He panted, trying to catch his breath while his lover tended to him.

"Gaara," Neji murmured again.

"Hm?" the Suna ninja asked, his mouth still clamped around his boyfriend's arousal.

The vibrations left the Hyuuga panting harder.

"I want more," Neji replied, blushing.

Letting go of Neji's manhood, Gaara looked up at him and nodded. Slowly and carefully, he laid his love on the couch, his head resting on a small decorate pillow. He stroked the Hyuuga's thick, dark hair before he slid down his body, grabbing at Neji's thighs. Gaara nipped at the muscular legs as he pushed Neji's legs up, resting them at a 90 degree angle, feet flat to the fabric of the couch.

"This will make it easier," Gaara said.

Suddenly, there was something wet at his entrance and Neji bucked, growling. He raised his lips for Gaara's tongue, moaning as it traced the outside.

"Inside," Neji panted. "Please."

Obliging his boyfriend's wishes, Gaara slid his tongue in, wetting the walls of muscle with his saliva. Neji moaned and groaned in response, earning a warm smile from the Kazekage. Slowly, Gaara moved his tongue in and out, copying the movements he'd be making later.

"Gaara!" Neji cried, his fingers winding in the red hair.

"Yes, love?" Gaara asked as he retracted his tongue, sitting up so he leaned over his lover.

"I want you," Neji said, his voice breaking slightly.

"Fingers come first, Neji," Gaara laughed.

"Then hurry."

Gaara did as he was told and quickly slid his middle finger into Neji's entrance, rubbing the side so effect. Neji thrashed under him, moving his hips as he tried to ride the finger. His fingers grasped the pillow behind him tightly.

"More."

The Kazekage followed his lovers demands until all three fingers were in and moving, effectively sliding in and out of Neji. Unable to take it anymore, Gaara removed them and ripped off his own pants and boxers. The pain was unbearable. Neji smiled up at him and spread his legs as wide as he could, letting Gaara settle his body between them.

"Ready?" Gaara asked, running his tongue over Neji's chest.

"Hurry up," Neji replied. "I'm ready."

Then, he was sheathed inside his lover, a groan escaping him. Neji practically screamed with pleasure as his sweat spot was hit. He arched his back off of the couch, pulling Gaara deeper into him. Waiting for a few seconds, Gaara tried to regain his breath, but found that he couldn't.

"Move," Neji commanded, his beautiful eyes closing.

Grinning, Gaara pulled out slightly before ramming back in. Crying out, Neji grabbed his hips, pulling him in further as he wrapped his legs around Gaara. They rocked back and forth, groaning loudly with each thrust. When Neji's legs started to shake around him, Gaara grabbed them fiercely, holding them steady as he pounded back in.

"Gaara!" Neji screamed as he came.

He felt the walls constrict around him and Gaara thrust back in one more time, feeling himself let go. When the ecstasy started to decline from its high, he collapsed on top of his panting lover.

"Fuck," he sighed, burying his face in the crook of Neji's neck. "That was fantastic."

"You did all the work," Neji moaned as his legs dropped down to the couch.

Gaara chuckled. "I didn't want you to have to do anything," he laughed.

Slowly he pulled himself out of Neji and flopped down next to him on the couch. Neji groaned and turned to face his lover.

"It's going to hurt tomorrow, isn't it?" Neji asked.

"Probably," Gaara replied, brushing a long strand of hair away from Neji's face.

Moving closer, Neji snuggled against his bare body, sighing happily.

"I'm so glad that we did that," he said, wrapping his arms around his lover.

"Me too. Now, get some sleep," Gaara whispered in Neji's ear. "You're going to be tired tomorrow if you don't and we can't have one of our special squad leaders falling asleep in training."

Neji hummed an inaudible response before closing his eyes and drifting to sleep. Gaara watched him for a few minutes, brushing Neji's long hair with his fingers. Tucking his head down to Neji's, he kissed the top of his lover's head. Closing his own eyes, he fell asleep with the smell of Neji's vanilla scented shampoo filling his nose, throat, and lungs.

**Haha! They did it! I was originally going to draw it out a long longer until I realized that Neji is a practical person who would obviously worry about the future. After all, he did kind of throw away the whole 'you cannot change your fate' idea a while ago. Ah, such an adorable couple. And then there is Kakashi. I don't know why I love to write about him being in pain. He's my favorite character apart from Iruka and Neji so… Hm.**

**Preview: Neji feels that there's something not quite right, though it has nothing to do with his overjoyed lover. Hinata worries about her cousin. To top it all off, Himura's army is only a two day march away from the village.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary: Hinata worries about her cousin and discovers something that she wasn't expecting. Neji feels that there's something not quite right. To top it all off, Himura's army is only a one day march away from the village.**

Chapter 10

Hinata Hyuuga had always been a worrier. When she was child, shy and quiet, she'd worried about absolutely everything, from how her hair was brushed to even how her cousin, Neji's was. As she'd gotten older some of the worrying had gone away, but some of it had stayed. On this particular morning, she was doing just that: worrying. She'd seen Neji leave the compound the night before and was shocked to find that he hadn't yet returned.

As she walked through the street, she glanced at the people around her, searching for the familiar white eyes. He wasn't at the training grounds nor was he at any of his other favorite spots. No matter where she looked, Neji wasn't there.

About to give up, she decided to try one more thing. Activating her Byakugan, she searched for her cousin's chakra signature. Finding the white blaze of chakra, she headed in that direction. What surprised her, however, was that she discovered it to be coming from an apartment designated for foreign diplomats. Frowning, she walked up to the door and knocked. When no one responded, she knocked again.

Sighing, she turned to leave when she noticed that the balcony she stood on wrapped around the side of the building. She followed it and, glancing around the corner, found that each apartment had its own separate, private balcony extended off of the back. Smiling, the Hyuuga leapt from terrace to terrace until she arrived at the correct apartment.

Normally, Hinata was not the kind of person to pry into other people's lives, let alone their homes -or temporary apartments, in this case- but she was too concerned about her cousin to think about the consequences of what she was doing.

Deactivating the Byakugan, Hinata easily opened the lock with a flash of chakra and silently stepped into the apartment. She noticed a pile of clothes that lay against the far wall and, frowning, walked over to it. Kneeling down, she was about to pick up the familiar tan shirt when she heard a faint rustling and moan. Raising her head, Hinata glanced to her left and leapt backward with a yelp when she met her cousin's sleep riddled eyes.

Blinking, Neji looked at Hinata and, suddenly, a wave of shock ran through them. He quickly sat up and felt something resting behind him, something with skin.

"Fuck," he hissed, rushing to find something with which he could cover himself.

Feeling Gaara stir behind him, Neji quickly laid his hands over his crotch and glanced back at his boyfriend.

"What is it, love?" Gaara murmured, pulling Neji tighter against him. "It's too early. Go back to sleep."

"Um, I'm sorry, Gaara, but, I don't think that is a good idea," Neji replied shakily.

"Why not? Do you want another round or some Gaara asked, opening one eye a crack.

He stopped when he saw the horrified look on Neji's face.

"What

Quickly, he sat up and, seeing Hinata, blushed heavily and dropped the hands that were around his boyfriend's waist to cover Neji's own.

"Shit," he muttered as Neji turned his head to look back at his cousin.

The Hyuuga heir had a look of complete surprise on her face. She was, in fact, too surprised to even be embarrassed by what she saw. Never, in all the time she'd known Neji, had she guessed anything like this: that he was gay. Sure, he had never been interested in girls, but she'd always supposed that it was because he was too focused on his training or something like that.

"W-well t-this is a sur-surprise," Hinata stammered.

"Uh, yeah," Neji replied dumbly.

For the first time in his life, he didn't know quite what to say.

"D-does f-fa-father-r kn-know about um y-your-"

"Sexuality? No."

"W-well u-um-"

"Hinata?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Are you going to tell him?"

A slight blush spread over Hinata's face as Gaara sat up slightly from his position behind Neji.

"D-do y-you want me t-to?"

Neji and Gaara exchanged a glance.

"We'd appreciate it if you didn't," Gaara replied as his lover turned deathly pale.

Taking one of his hands off of Neji's, Gaara wrapped it around the Hyuuga's waist. Gaara was sitting completely upright and pulled Neji into one as well. The Hyuuga scooted back into Gaara's grasp as he sat between the Kazekage's legs, his hands still covering himself. Gaara almost seemed to hiss defensively at Hinata when she didn't respond, tightening his protective grasp around his boyfriend.

"I-I won't t-tell him any-anything," Hinata squeaked under the Suna leader's stare.

"Good," Gaara replied, his voice softening slightly.

"Thanks, Hinata," Neji said.

"N-no problem, Neji-nii-san, but um, I would suggest putting some clothes on. We have training in a few hours."

Neji blushed fiercely as Hinata quickly left the room, closing the sliding door behind her as she stepped onto the balcony. She jumped over to the other terraces, making her way back to the front of the building. When she was down on the street, she made her way to an alley a few blocks away, her steps as quick as she could make them without breaking into a jog. As soon as her foot stepped off of the road and into the alley, she squatted down, her back resting against the wall of the building.

"Oh my God," she murmured. "Holy shit."

Then she broke into a sudden fit of light laughter.

"Holy shit, Father can't know about this."

Back at the apartment, Neji was throwing his clothing on in a rush. His hair was in knots, but he didn't have time to brush it out. He was frantic, fear pumping through him. Gaara sat on the couch, dressed only in his pants. He watched his boyfriend closely.

"Are you regretting it?" Gaara asked slowly as Neji quickly pulled his shirt down over his chest.

"What? Hell no!" Neji shouted.

He turned towards Gaara, a shocked look on his face.

"Are you sure?" Gaara asked.

"Of course, you idiot," Neji growled as he walked over to the seated Kazekage. "I'm just fucking scared alright!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," Gaara sighed.

He rested his forehead against Neji's stomach, wrapping his arms around Neji's clothed hips.

"It's okay," Neji laughed, running his fingers through his lover's red hair.

"You'd better get going. I have a feeling that she's going to have a whole fuck load of questions for you."

"Yeah."

Leaning down, Neji lightly kissed his lover, running his tongue over the thin lips. Gaara smiled and met Neji's tongue with his in midair. Their tongues intertwined in a battle of love and lust before they both pulled away, groaning at the loss of each other.

"I'll see you later," the Hyuuga sighed before taking off.

"See yah," Gaara called after him.

As Neji left the apartment, a strange feeling hit him. He frowned and looked up, his hand still on the doorknob. Maybe describing it as a feeling wasn't quite accurate. It was like an outside force that had seeped into his body through every pore in his skin and filled him with a sense of apprehension.

"What the hell?" he wondered aloud.

He walked to the edge of the porch and, setting his hands on the railing, leaned over to look down at the street.

"Nothing unusual," he murmured, frowning.

Straightening up, Neji sighed and jogged down the steps to the street. As he made his way through the crowd, the feeling only got worse. Swallowing hard, the Hyuuga broke into a run, heading towards to nearest isolated body of water. Cutting through the training grounds, Neji ran into the trees, following a familiar path. When he reached the small pond, he flung himself down onto the bank, breathing hard, though not from the run. The feeling of apprehension had filled his entire body, making it ache.

"Minoru!" he shouted, leaning over the water. "Answer me, God damn it!"

"So you're feeling it, huh?" his reflection asked.

"Feeling what? What the fuck is going on?" Neji cried.

"He's coming," Minoru said mysteriously.

"You mean Utake?" Neji asked.

Minoru nodded.

"Why-"

"-It's your DNA warning you that he's nearby," Minoru said.

"My DNA? What the fuck?"

"Utake has a done a lot of shit to our kind."

"Our kind?"

"Shh! Someone's coming."

"Neji, what are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked as he walked out of the trees.

"Nothing," Neji replied coldly, setting his Hyuuga mask in place.

The Nara gave him a suspicious look, but Neji just stood up and turned to him, folding his arms over his chest.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nothing."

Neji rolled his eyes when Shikamaru smirked.

Himura Utake was sitting in his tent, a book sprawled out on his lap. He was grinning as he flipped to his favorite page. It was a detailed family tree that gave names and dates of birth as well as death. Some of the names even had second names written next to them in parenthesis.

"Sir, would you like anything to eat?" his retainer asked as he poked his head in through the flap.

"No," Himura said, laughing a little as he ran a finger over one of the names at the bottom of the page.

"What are you reading, Sir?" the retainer asked, walking up behind his master.

"The Ookami family tree," Himura murmured.

Frowning, the retainer glanced at the book. A glint of recognition lit in his eyes before he turned away.

"Water, Sir?"

"Fine."

The retainer poured a mug of water for his master.

"Who is it that we're looking for again?" the retainer asked.

"Sugata," Himura replied as he ran his finger over the name again. "He's a direct descendant of the Umi line."

"So he's powerful then."

"Very much so."

"Aren't you worried at all, Sir?" the retainer asked, handing his master the mug of water.

"Why would I be?" Himura asked coldly.

"I mean, do we really want a repeat of what happened with Fuyu?"

Narrowing his eyes, Himura turned to his retainer and hissed, "There won't be a repeat of last night, now will there?"

The retainer nodded furiously before he exited the tent. Sighing, he quickly made his way through the camp, heading for his own tent. As soon as he was inside the confines of his own space, the retainer threw himself down on the pile of blankets that served as his bed.

'Fuck, I was once a prominent doctor. How did I get so far removed from my initial goals? I have to serve that asshole like some sort of slave,' he thought angrily. 'When we get to Kohona, shit is gonna change. That asshole is going to pay for all the shit he put me through, but how to do it. Maybe I can sneak away and find someone in Kohona who will help me. What would they want to know?'

Suddenly, he had an idea and he smiled. He had the perfect information for the ninja of Kohona.

'Fuyu. They'll want to know about Fuyu.'

**Preview:** **Tensions are high as Himura's army arrives. **


	12. Chapter 11

**Summary: Tensions are high as Himura's army arrives. Meanwhile, a white wolf pup arrives at the Hatake Family compound.**

Chapter 11

Neji and his team were assembled on the edge of the forest, awaiting any sort of command. They were all silent, staring straight ahead at the horizon before them. As they watched, the dark, marching forms became to grow into clear silhouettes of people and the sounds of commanders shouting orders could be heard.

"They're really here," Naruto murmured from her spot next to Neji.

"Did you think that Tsunade was kidding about this?" Sakura asked, a playful tone to her voice.

Naruto shot her a glare.

"No, it just didn't seem real until now," the fox container replied.

"Don't worry, Naruto, you aren't the only one that feels that way," Neji said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"So, how do you think is going to end?" Hinata asked.

"The only way we'll know is when its over," her former teacher, Kurenai, said.

Neji glanced up at the Jounin and shivered slightly when she met his gaze. She reminded him of everything –well, almost everything- that could happen to him in this battle. He could lose his lover as she had lost hers, or he could be the one lost, inflicting the same pain on Gaara. Dropping his eyes to the group, Neji shuffled his feet uncomfortably and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his composure. However, ever since the day before, the Hyuuga had been jumpy and nervous. It was totally a completely foreign feeling to him.

"Are you okay, Neji?" Kurenai asked, glancing down at her former pupil's cousin.

Nodding, Neji lied, "I'm fine."

"You don't look it."

"I told you, I'm fine, Kurenai-sensei."

"Alright, whatever you say."

"Neji-nii-san, there's no reason to be nervous. Everything will be-"

"I'm not nervous, Hinata. Please, just drop it."

Sighing softly, Hinata quieted down, but refused to look away from her cousin's back. He was standing in front of her, his spine stiff and his hands clenched at his sides. She knew that something was wrong and that whatever it was had nothing to do with her presence or what she now knew about it. Whatever was making Neji so jumpy was something else entirely.

"Hyuuga-san!" Konohamaru shouted as he landed neatly in front of Neji.

"Yes?" Neji asked impatiently.

"The Hokage's and Kazekage's attempts at negotiations have failed. Himura Utake has returned to his camp and Team Hokage and Team Kazekage are now awaiting their attack. You and team Temari are to wait back until the Hokage gives the signal to attack," the Genin reported.

"Thank you, now get back to Kakashi as fast as you can."

"Yes, Hyuuga-san."

Neji shuddered slightly with anticipation as Konohamaru ran back towards the village.

"Neji-nii-san," Hinata said softly, setting her hand on her cousin's back.

"And now, we wait again," Neji hissed.

Not far from where Neji's team stood, the four Ookami watched the impending battle with keen interest. They watched as the two great armies assembled and all four of them growled loudly when they saw Himura Utake's bright armor, standing at the back of the army. Soft chanting from the plants around them filled their ears as they gazed upon their strongest opponent.

'For Kage (1), for Ki (2), for every ancestor of ours that has fallen. For Haru, for Aki, for Natsu, for Fuyu, for all those who live today. For Sugata, for Arashi, for every child to come. Kill, kill, kill the man who brought us to our ruin,' the whole earth seemed to shout.

The four Ookami knew that the entire existence as a race depended on this one battle.

Gaara and Tsunade stood at the front of their own teams, both quiet as they watched Himura Utake's army march closer to them.

"Tsunade," Gaara said slowly.

"Yes?" the Hokage replied.

"Can you promise me something?"

"That will depend on what it is."

"If I die and he survives, can you please keep an eye on Neji for me?"

"Why would you ask such a thing? Neji is my nin-"

"I mean watch him closely, Hokage. It would comfort my soul in the afterlife to know he was looked after."

Tsunade gave the Kazekage a sideways glance, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She hadn't been aware of Gaara's affections toward the young prodigy, but hearing them in his voice made her almost bleed with happiness.

"You'll survive. Both of you will," she said. "To lose either of you would be too big of a blow to our village."

Gaara just nodded silently.

The streets of Konoha were deserted. Civilians were tucked into their homes, awaiting the eminent attack, and the ninja were either with the collective army that stood before the front gates of the village or with Kakashi and the Genin. A wolf pup with blinding white fur trotted down one of the silent streets. Despite being in an unfamiliar place, the pup had easily made his way from one side of the village to the other in search of the house he was looking for.

He stopped before the Hatake family compound, sniffing the air again. With a glint of pride in his eyes, the wolf trotted through the overgrown yard and onto the front porch of the main house. Nudging the front door open with his nose, the tiny wolf slipped into the abandoned house. Most of the rooms he peeked his head into were empty and dark, the only change being a small room towards the back of the building that was dedicated to the fallen members of the clan. Ancient scrolls that had somehow retained their pristine state hung from the walls, detailing the names of every dead Hatake. Despite his interest in the scrolls, the wolf pup quickly left the room and headed towards the backyard.

The ninja dogs had smelled him coming and were all standing when he pushed the back door open. One of them, large than the others, growled lightly as the pup jumped down from the back porch to the grass. However, the sound died down when the pup walked right over to him and gazed up at the dog with interest. They stared at each other for a moment before dog gave a growl of acceptance. Laying down on the grass, the dog acted submissive towards the wolf pup, whining softly. The others around him copied this. Slowly, the wolf pup did the same, sinking down until his belly touched the ground. Each of the ninja dogs glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. The white pup gave a slight whine and the dogs wagged their tails back and forth excitedly. As they all stood up, the ninja dogs circled around the wolf pup, licking at his fur to clean it. The wolf pup flicked his ears back and almost seemed to laugh a little.

"Wait until Pakkun and the others hear about this," one of the ninja dogs said to the others. "He's gonna be shocked."

**This use of kage refers to the meaning of the word 'shadow' not the military leaders of the ninja villages.**

**Ki means 'tree'**

**Preview: As the fighting starts, Neji learns something about himself that he never knew. Himura Utake's retainer sneaks out of camp with something important. **


	13. Chapter 12

**We're finally to the part where some stuff is made clear! Yay for revealing chapters.**

**Summary: As the fighting starts, Neji learns something about himself that he never knew. Himura Utake's retainer sneaks out of camp with something important. **

Chapter 12

Himura Utake was not nervous about the coming battle. In fact, he was excited to see the blood and the fighting. It had been so long since he'd seen a real one that his own blood seemed to boil as the time drew nearer. Signaling to his commanders, Himura stood up and watched as the first wave of soldiers prepared to clash with the ninja. Their chakra infused weapons and armor glinted under the sunlight as they lined up, facing the battlefield.

"All hail the power of Lord Utake and death to all those who oppose him!" the men shouted as they broke into a run.

"Here they come!" Gaara shouted to the ninja assembled behind him. "Watch out for their swords. They'll suck the chakra straight out of you."

In the darkest part of his mind, Gaara heard Shukaku suddenly awakened, chuckling at the sight of the soldiers before them.

"No, they have it wrong," the demon sneered in Gaara's ear. "It's death to all who oppose me!"

Ignoring the demon, Gaara steadily walked forward, arms crossed over his chest.

"Prison Sand Burial!"

As the soldier's neared, the ground below their feet burst to life, sucking some of them down into it as they screamed.

"Come on! You can do better than that!" Gaara shouted as the battle exploded around him.

A few brave souls did just that, swinging wildly at the Kazekage's head. However, Gaara quickly surrounded himself with a layer of hard sand, making the metal blades ricochet off of it with a loud clank. Arms shot out of the wall between the soldiers and Gaara, grabbing and pulling them in as the wall bent back on itself, forming a sphere of sand.

Gaara muttered, "Crush."

The sphere of sand caved in on itself, causing the men inside to scream in agony as they were crushed to death.

"Gaara!" Tsunade shouted from up ahead. "Help me here!"

The Hokage was fighting one of the commanders, several craters having formed in the earth around her from her Heavily Foot of Pain technique.

'Shit, she's missed that many times,' Gaara thought as he rushed over, forming a series of hand seals.

"Get out of the way!" Gaara shouted to her. "Quicksand Water Flow!"

Tsunade managed to dodge out of the way before the tsunami of sand engulfed the commander she'd been fighting. Landing softly on the ground behind Gaara, she watched as the wave swept up several other enemies as well, drowning them completely.

"Hokage! Kazekage!" a familiar voice called.

Both leaders raised their heads to see one of their messenger ninja rushing towards them.

"What is it?" Tsunade demanded.

"Enemies have been spotted on the west side of the village!" the messenger said.

Gritting her teeth, Tsunade motioned in that same direction. "Go find Neji's team. They're a few yards out from the wall."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the messenger replied before disappearing.

'Please be safe, Neji,' Gaara thought as he turned back to the battle, knocking another soldier out with a sudden swipe of sand.

A figure dressed in dark colors quickly ran through the trees, carrying a thick book under one arm. Hearing something behind him, the figure quickly stopped and wildly looked around. Seeing no one, he took off again.

When he'd reached the eastern wall of Konoha, the figure sat down and rested, panting hard from the run. His legs ached and his lungs were burning, but he ignored all it. He had to find someone who would listen to him. It had only been half an hour since he'd snuck out of Himura Utake's camp with the book hidden in his cloak and he knew he didn't have a lot more time until his former master discovered that his prized possession was missing. The former retainer and doctor really did not want to go back to working for the corrupt, greedy lord.

Glancing up at the wall, the man saw a ninja leap over to the section of the wall that was nearest him, squatting down at he sated at the former doctor. The ninja seemed to be looking for something as he eyed the former doctor, but, seemingly, he found nothing and stood up straight.

"I need to talk to you! I have information that could help you!" the former doctor cried as the ninja jumped down to the ground beside him.

The messenger arrived at Neji's location in less than a minute, panting out Tsunade's orders. Nodding, Neji had sent him on his way before turning to his team.

"You'd better all live or I'll kill you again myself in the afterlife," he said gruffly.

"Same to you," Naruto laughed.

Smiling a bit, Neji led his team directly west, leaping easily from tree to tree. The nervous feeling settled and died out as it was replaced with something much more powerful. His teeth ached a bit, but he ignored it, too focused on the task at hand to care.

'For Kage (1), for Ki (2), for every ancestor of ours that has fallen. For Haru, for Aki, for Natsu, for Fuyu, for all those who live today. For Sugata, for Arashi, for every child to come. Kill! Kill! Kill the man who brought us to our ruin,' soft voices whispered from the air around him.

They came upon the small group of soldiers a few miles away from the walls of Konoha, standing beside a small pond. The soldiers were standing in a circle around someone, swords drawn when the ninja approached.

"Submit or die!" Neji shouted to them.

"All hail Lord Utake!" was the loud reply.

Sighing, Neji slid to a stop and planted his feet, the others rushing past him. He quickly formed the seals with his hand and threw one hand forward, fingers curled in. A wave of vicious air emanated from his palm, hitting one of the soldiers square in the chest, throwing him backwards. Noticing who knelt at the center of the circle, Neji choked back his surprise and was about to shout a warning when another voice rose over his own.

"Miyamoto Family Secret Technique: Amitabha's Vision!" (1)

An explosion of energy threw all of the ninja off of their feet as it spread out in a giant circle, covering a mile-wide expanse of land. Shaking her head, Hinata quickly jumped up, looking around. The enemy soldiers that had been guarding the young ninja girl had all been knocked down and were steadily getting up, just as Sakura and Kurenai were. Even Naruto stumbled to his feet, a cloak of the Kyuubi's chakra surrounding his body.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Hinata called.

"I'm fine! Kyu- Neji!"

Naruto rushed over to his friend who was writhing on the ground, hands clenched over his ears. Kneeling down, the Kyuubi host reached out to his friend, but recoiled when the Hyuuga screamed in pain, blood pouring from his open mouth. The fangs that filled Neji's mouth were tainted red.

"Haha! Found him!" one of the soldiers shouted wildly as he stood over Naruto and Neji, sword brandished.

Growling loudly, Naruto leapt at the soldier, knocking him down. As they struggled, the fight broke out once again. Hinata dodged as a sword swung quickly over her head, trying to get to her fallen cousin. However, she was blocked by a kick to the stomach.

The chanting in Neji's ears grew louder with every passing moment. He dug his black claws into his scalp, drawing blood as he shuddered from the intense pain. His body felt like it was burning and his eardrums like they were about to burst.

"You really thought you could get away?" the ninja that stood above him asked.

Neji opened his eye a crack to look at her. She was smaller than Hinata and even thinner, a tiny thing really. However, her eyes held a look of absolute disgust as she glared at Neji.

"It's time to go, monster," she hissed, reaching down to tie a rope of chakra around his throat.

Snapping his jaws, Neji growled low in his throat and attacked her. The girl yelped in fear as she backed away from the furious Hyuuga. Crouching down in all fours, Neji growled again, blood running down both sides of his mouth.

"You don't scare me," the girl muttered. "You have to come with me."

Neji tensed up, ready to jump. He looked at the girl's cold brown eyes and saw his reflection in them.

Smiling, he replied, "No way in fucking hell am I doing that."

Suddenly, he vaulted himself at her, his clawed hand curling in to form the same fist as earlier.

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!" he growled as he aimed the fierce flow of air at her.

Flying backward, the girl squeaked and formed her own hand seals.

"Miyamoto Family Technique: Impermanence!"(2) she shouted.

Neji's wave of air suddenly disappeared and the girl flipped, landing easily on the ground. She smiled wickedly.

"That won't work with me, Ookami," the girl laughed as she formed a single sign with her hands. "Miyamoto Family Technique: Flower Garden Sutra!"

Light blue chakra burst forth from the girl's hands like a burning flame. She clapped them together and the chakra flowed between her palms, creating a long staff that she swung around in a circle several times. The staff was at least five feet long and far too big for a girl of her size, but she carried it with grace and ease. On the last swing, the girl raised the staff high over her head and slammed one end of it down on the ground, cracks forming in the earth. Neji felt the ground rumble under him and he jumped out of the way just in time to prevent from being grabbed by a giant hand that rose up underneath him.

Growling softly, Neji forced chakra into his hands and feet, skidding to a stop on the surface of the pond. He glanced down and saw Minoru wink up at him. Smiling, he backed up further onto the pond's surface.

"If you want to hit me, you'll have to come closer than that!" he taunted.

The girl gritted her teeth and jumped out onto the water to follow Neji, blue chakra built up in her feet. Swinging her staff, the girl opened her mouth to speak when a large kunai suddenly lodged itself in her shoulder, forcing her to drop the staff. It splashed into the water and she went down, holding her shoulder.

"What the hell did you do-"

She jerked backyards, feeling something invisible at her throat.

"I wouldn't do that," a voice said from beneath her, though only Neji heard it.

The girl looked down and saw her reflection clearly in the water. Her eyes widened as she saw Minoru kneeling behind her, a kunai held to her throat. He smirked at her, his claws tightening around the handle of the kunai.

"W-what-"

Her eyes flew up to Neji, who was still several feet away from her. Then, she glanced down to see that he had no reflection. Flicking her gaze back to Minoru, she tried to speak, but found that she couldn't.

"-Good job, Minoru," Neji said quietly as he trotted over on all fours.

Forming a few thick ropes of chakra, Neji quickly tied the incapacitated girl before leading her back to the rest of his team. Naruto and the others all stood on the bank, watching him as he walked over to meet them. As he reached the edge of the pond however, another pain ripped through Neji's body. He stumbled and fell, growling loudly. The girl tried to run, but was quickly grabbed by Sakura who delivered a strong blow to the back of her head. Slumping forward, the girl fell into unconsciousness.

"Neji-nii-san?" Hinata asked quietly as she knelt down next to her cousin.

She laid a hand on his shoulder and he growled softly, head lowered so that his forehead was flat against the surface of the water. Slowly, she rubbed circles along his back.

"Neji, may I speak freely?" Minoru asked him quietly for only Neji to hear.

"Shut up, Minoru. I don't want to talking to you right now," the Hyuuga hissed.

The fierce temper in his tone made Hinata draw back a little.

"Neji-nii-san, who is Minoru?" the shy girl asked as she started rubbing her cousins' back again.

"Please Neji," Minoru whined. "Pretty please!"

"Fine!" Neji shouted, slamming his clawed hand on the surface of the water. "You can talk to them."

Smiling, Minoru looked up at Hinata.

"Hey, cousin," he said.

Jumping back, Hinata stared down at the reflection with absolute terror. The other ninja dropped into defensive poses, ready for an attack.

"Calm down, everyone, calm down," Minoru laughed. "I'm not going to attack you."

"Just say what you need to say Minoru and get it over with," Neji muttered, his voice full of venom.

"Now, Neji, be nice," his reflection whined. "I'm new to this. You've never let me talk to anyone but you before."

"That's because most people don't have reflections that move on their own and talk back, idiot!" Neji shouted.

"Neji," Kurenai said slowly, "What's going on?"

"Fuck," the Hyuuga muttered as the pain subsided a bit.

Lifting his head, he met the astonished looks of his team mates and sighed.

"Minoru here is my reflection, just like you all have yours. When you look in the mirror, you see a silent, two-dimensional image of yourself. I see him."

Neji spat out the last word.

"It's a power that's been with me since I was born," he continued. "When I was a little kid, I used to talk to him all the time, thinking it was normal. That is until my mom found out and she removed every mirror from our rooms at the Branch house. She told me repeatedly to never tell anyone about him, not even my dad."

"Why?" Kurenai asked.

Neji shook his head as he sat back on his heels.

"She never really explained the reason to me, probably because I was so young when she died. All she ever said was that if someone found out, we'd all get hurt. She always looked so scared whenever we talked about it so I promised her that I wouldn't. Dad died not knowing."

"It's because we're Ookami," Minoru said as he walked over to the blank space of water between Neji and Hinata and the other ninja.

"Ookami? A wolf?" Sakura asked.

"It's read the same, but not spelled the same. The wolf you're thinking of is the animal. We, meaning Neji and I, are part of the Ookami, written as hiragana o (3), hiragana o, then the kanji for god," Minoru said matter-of-factly.

"So you're gods?" Kurenai asked, her voice full of complete disbelief.

"No, not really," Neji's reflection said. "We're just physical manifestations of the powers of nature."

"Then why call yourself Ookami?" Kurenai asked. "Why is that wordplay even necessary?"

"It is because we are born with the ability to transform into wolves. Look."

The four ninja and Minoru all turned to Neji. The Hyuuga was still sitting back on his heels, clawed hands gripping his knees. His ears were pointed and tipped with the signature fur of an Ookami. A long brown tail (which had soundlessly formed when the ninja were distracted) rested behind him on the surface of the water.

"Holy shit," Sakura murmured.

Neji shifted uncomfortably under their gaze, lowering his head a bit when he noticed the tail.

"Minoru, what is happening to me?" he asked quietly as the other ninja continued to stare at him.

"You're just finally transforming, Neji," his reflection said, trying to reassure the ninja. "With Himura Utake so close it isn't much of a surprise. That man is the enemy to all Ookami."

"Why does he matter?" Neji cried. "I've been fine living like a relatively normal person up until now!"

"Like I said, he is the enemy to all Ookami. He has killed too many of our kind for us to not be wary of him."

"What the hell did he do?"

"He skins us, Neji. He catches us and takes our pelts to sell them on the black market. There's a saying that reads 'If a wolf's coat is worth one cent, than the coat of a wolf god is worth a million times more'. Normally, people read it as those with power are worth more in society, but, unfortunately, its origin is much less… philosophical and much bloodier in fact."

**If you are confused about some of the terms I used in this chapter, please read the notes that are below this. It may help you, especially if you've never studied Japanese writing. The one problem with using Japanese puns is that they don't translate into English well at all. But, more importantly, I finally got to say that Neji is an Ookami. Finally! I've been waiting to say it for 11 chapters.**

**This technique I completely made up. Amitabha is also known as the Buddha of Infinite Light and the teachings of his school relate to being open to everyone, recognizing the differences that make people individuals, and accepting them. The Miyamoto family uses it to reveal anything hidden from view, such as a person's true identity aka Neji's Ookami state.**

**Impermanence is the idea that everything in the world is in a constant state of change. It is used my the Miyamoto family as a way to sort of cancel out other jutsu, rendering it ineffective.**

**This is a note for those who haven't studied Japanese writing before. In Japanese, there are three forms of writing: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana and Katakana are the basic building blocks of sound, much like our own alphabet. There are 46 sounds that the two writing forms share: five vowels, forty two-letter (as written in English) sounds, and n. The distinction is that Hiragana is used for words originating from Japanese while Katakana is for words originating from another language, usually English. Kanji is basically when you combine the sounds that a series of Hiragana make into one or more complex symbols. For example: Ookami (meaning wolf). Hiragana: ****おおかみ。****Kanji: ****狼。****Now, the Ookami as in the race that Neji belongs to is written in Hiragana as the same, but in Kanji much differently:**** おお 神。****And there you have it. A good Japanese lesson for you.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Haha. Himura Utake is really a sick bastard.**

**Summary: Chapter 13: The Ookami finally enter the battle. Neji's life changes even more drastically than it already has. **

Chapter 13

"What?" Hinata asked, dumbstruck, although she wasn't the only one.

"He kills us for our skins," Minoru sighed sadly.

"Is that why he's attacking Konoha?" Neji demanded.

The reflection nodded.

"Or at least that's what I think."

"How in the hell would he know Neji was a Ookami?" Naruto shouted. "I mean, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but really? How the fuck-"

"I don't know! I've only been alive as long as Neji has and the only things that I know are the things his mom told him when he was a little kid!" Minoru replied.

"I don't remember that," Neji muttered.

"Of course not," his reflection said. "We were babies when she told me that stuff."

"And yet, you remember it?"

"I remember a lot more than you do, Neji, and that's saying something."

"So, Neji is Himura's target?" Kurenai asked in order to clarify.

The living reflection nodded.

"We're going to need to put you under protective detail then," the Jounin said to the Hyuuga. "We can't afford-"

"-There is no way in hell that I'm getting taken off the battlefield! No fucking way!" Neji shouted as he stood up.

"Fuck that! You're this sick bastard's target! We can't have to getting kidnapped or killed," Kurenai snapped.

"K-Kurenai-sensei," Hinata said softly as she stepped between her former teacher and her cousin.

"Hinata-chan, move! This idiot needs to understand-"

"-Kurenai-sensei!" Hinata shouted, a surprisingly forceful tone in her voice.

Shocked into silence, Kurenai looked down at the small girl.

"P-please do-don't take N-Neji-nii-san off the battlef-field."

"Why not Hinata-chan? He-"

"-You need to understand, please. He has to be here. You put him on the sidelines and a whole lot worse things could happen. We're already missing Hatake-sensei out here," the quiet girl said.

"She's right, Yuhi-sensei," Sakura said. "Neji is one of the best ninja we have. We'll be putting the entire village at risk."

The older Jounin sighed softly and, after a moment, nodded in agreement.

"We'll have to tell the Hokage, though, and the Kazekage, I suppose."

Neji paled at his, letting his head drop a bit. Minoru glanced at him, his face serious and unemotional. Both of them, Hyuuga and Hyuuga reflection, had let the invisible mask of their clan fall into place.

"Alright," Neji replied softly as he raised his head.

"Hyuuga-san! Come quickly!" a messenger shouted as he suddenly appeared beside the team. "The Hoka- wait, what the hell happened to you?"

"Just tell me what the orders are," the Hyuuga muttered.

"Oh, well, the Hokage has called for you and your team to report to the main battlefield immediately. No one has died as of yet, but many have sustained injuries," the messenger said.

"Who?" Neji asked, keeping his mask in place to hide the frantic state his soul had just been thrown into.

"Temari-san and Shikamaru-san's teams reported to the battlefield about ten minutes ago. Tenten-san and Kiba-san were both knocked unconscious and sent to the hospital. Ino-san has received several cuts, but she is fine. Surprisingly, the Kazekage was slashed by one of the swords, but his demon healed him without any problems. The rest are all minor injuries," the messenger rattled off.

"Why does she need us then?" Kurenai asked, stepping forward.

"Himura's men have refused to retreat despite their heavy losses and the Hokage is hoping that your presence will force them into it."

Neji's tail twitched nervously as he glanced at the other ninja. They all gave him worried looks, especially Hinata.

"Well," Neji said, "When the Hokage calls, we must obey."

"Neji, I don't think-"

Suddenly, Neji held up a hand, silencing her. His eyes narrowed as his now very-sensitive ears picked up an unfamiliar sound from the distance: growling. A faint whiff of musk filled his nose causing the Hyuuga to shake his head in order to rid himself of the smell.

"I don't think we'll be needed," Minoru said, smiling. When the ninja all looked down at him, he motioned in the direction of the battlefield. "The others are already here."

Breaking into a run, the ninja hurried towards the battle. As they neared, the shouts and clanking of metal grew louder. Suddenly, the shouts grew into screams of fear as loud barks and growls overrode them. Explosions rocked the earth, nearly knocking the running ninja off of their feat. They burst out of the trees to find a sight they were not expecting.

Utake's soldiers were retreating, rushing to get away from the sharp teeth and claws that had already attempted to teat their limbs off. Giant wolves nipped at their heels as they ran, grinning widely when they turned away from their prey. Their tongues rolled out of their mouths and they panted as they trotted back towards the army of ninja. Blood adorned their massive teeth and dripped from the sharp tips as freely as water flows from a faucet. Patches of grass were burned away, leaving behind black spots of ash. However, the golden male stepped onto one of the patches, the plants were instantly revived, their blades an even deeper green than before.

"Wolves," Kurenai said.

Next to her, Naruto shuddered. The Kyuubi was rustling around inside his cage, his fear seeping into his host. Getting up, the fox paced along the bars, almost prancing as chakra flowed through his feet.

'Kyuubi?' Naruto asked, setting his hand on his stomach. 'Are you okay?'

'It's the Ookami, kit. I'm not used to all of them being in one place,' the Kyuubi growled.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"It's the first time that the Kyuubi's been this nervous," the ninja replied, frowning.

'You would be too if you knew what they could do,' the Kyuubi muttered.

Suddenly, one of the other wolves, a gray male, stopped in his tracks, turning his dark gaze to Neji. The Hyuuga met the gaze unflinchingly. The two Ookami stared at each other for a moment before the gray started over towards Neji and his team.

Gaara was feeling the same unease that Naruto had. Shukaku hissed as they watched the Ookami walk over to the small group of ninja.

'Your mate is one of them,' the demon muttered.

When the wolf was only a few yard from Neji, it arched its back and rolled onto its hind legs, still walking. With each step, the Ookami lost more of his wolf appearance and took on more of his human one. By the time he reached the Hyuuga, he retained only the same attributed that Neji had: fur-tipped ears, long, fluffy tail, and clawed fingers. The Ookami smiled and held out his hands to Neji.

"I'm Akumu, but you can call me Ketai. I prefer my human name," he said, his smile flashing his sharp fangs.

"Neji," the Hyuuga replied as he shook the man's hand.

"So you're Sugata," the other Ookami mused. "I wasn't expecting a Hyuuga though."

"I'm a Hyuuga on my father's side," Neji said. "My mother was an Ookami."

He felt strange saying that, almost as though he as trying to pronounce a foreign word.

"We came here looking for you," a blond woman said as she walked up behind Ketai.

"Because Himura was coming?" Neji asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can take care of myself."

His tail flicked behind him in annoyance.

"We have a good reason," Ketai cut in. "There's so few of us left that its important that we all stay alive as long as possible."

"What is going on here?" Tsunade called as she walked over.

The two new Ookami turned to face her and Gaara.

"Hokage, Kazekage" they both said, bowing their heads.

"You're ninja of Kumogakure, aren't you?" Tsunade asked.

It was then that Neji noticed the hitai-ate that were tied around their right thighs.

"Ketai and Rei Hibikino, at your service," Ketai said cheerfully.

"We are here on personal matters," his sister, Rei, explained. "We are-"

"-I know what you are. My main question is why is Neji one as well? He's a Hyuuga. As far as I am aware, they are not descended from Ookami," the Hokage replied.

"They're not," a gruff voice said.

"Ah, Father," Ketai said as they all turned to the giant of a man that stood there.

"It's Neji's mother that was an Ookami," the old man said.

He stood around six feet two inches in height and thick golden hair lay freely over his broad shoulders. To Neji, he resembled more of a lion than a wolf with his dark, serious eyes and strong build.

"And your name is?"

"Daiki Hibikino," the man said. "This is Emi Taiyoono," he added, motioning to the young woman that stood beside him.

The ninja of Kohona and Suna had started to gather around, whispering about the newcomers and Neji's strange appearance. They drew away slightly when Neji flicked his eyes to them, silencing them with a piercing glare.

"I thought that the Ookami died out years ago," Gaara said.

"Nearly," Emi spat. "Apart from those of us who are here, there's only two other Ookami left in the entire world. Those Utake bastards have hunted us nearly to extinction."

"Calm yourself, Natsu," Daiki said before turning his attention back to the ninja leaders. "We didn't come here for a fight, unless it is one with Himura Utake."

"You're here for Neji, correct?" Tsunade asked.

The four foreign Ookami nodded. Everyone's gaze turned back to the blank-faced Hyuuga.

"Neji, how long have you known about your heritage?" Tsunade asked.

"Since today," Neji replied honestly. "I've always known that here was something… off, but I didn't know the extent of it."

"What do you mean by 'off?'"

"My reflection talks to me and moved freely on it's own."

A gasp ran through the crowd of ninja and they shuffled nervously.

'So that's who he was talking to in the bathroom,' Gaara thought.

"That is outrageous!" a strong voice called from the crowd.

The ninja parted to reveal Hiashi, Neji's uncle and Hinata's father. He limped slightly, his cane tapping the ground as he walked. Hinata cringed beside Neji, causing the other Hyuuga to step between father and daughter, growling softly.

"Hinata, get over here!" Hiashi commanded.

"Hiashi-san, please be calm," Tsunade said. "Neji is still-"

"-No relative of mine is a god damn demon!" Hiashi shouted. "Hinata, come here now!"

"Fuck it, old man," Rei shouted. "Your daughter is old enough to do what she wants, regardless of your damn feelings. Go lock yourself in a box and die."

"Rei," her father warned.

"Besides, we're not actually demons," her brother said. "We're just descended from them."

"Same damn thing!" the Hyuuga leader shouted.

"It's actually not," both Gaara and Naruto said softly at the same time, rolling their eyes.

"Get the fuck out of my way!"

Hiashi tried to grab the front of Neji's shirt and push him away from his daughter, but a hand made of sand suddenly wrapped its fingers around the Hyuuga Clan leader's wrist, holding it back.

"I think you're taking this too far, Hyuuga-san," Gaara said calmly, his arms crossed over his chest.

'Kill the bastard,' Shukaku muttered. 'He tried to touch your mate.'

'Shut up.'

"I'm not taking this too far!" Hiashi screamed, ripping his hand away from the sand. "I refuse to have my family be tainted by such a monster as that!"

He pointed to Neji who maintained a cold look on his face. The young ninja was not surprised that it had come to this. The previous year, Hiashi had been on a mission with his nephew when one of the other tailed demons, a rouge since it had lost its host, attacked them. Their fight had left the Hyuuga leader with a crippled leg and a spiteful attitude towards anything that had to do remotely with demons. Even Naruto, the hero of the village, was included on this list.

"Neji! You are no longer a member of the Hyuuga Clan! Don't even come near our house or I'll have your throat slit! Hinata! Come!"

As the Hyuuga leader turned away, Neji glanced down at his cousin. Her eyes were wide and full of worry and hurt. Giving her a quick smile and a slap to the back of the head, he urged her to follow her father. Sighing, she did, her feet dragging under her.

"Fuck," Tsunade hissed, looking over at Neji. "I'm sure he'll change his-"

"-Don't worry about it. We both know he won't," Neji said.

The Hokage sighed and nodded.

"I believe it is best that we continue this conversation elsewhere," she said slowly before turning to her ninja. "The rest of you, seek care from the medics and go home to rest. The Utake bastards will be back tomorrow. Send the Genin out to keep watch."

"I'd like to talk to Neji on my own for a moment, if that is okay," Gaara cut in.

Tsunade nodded to him and turned her gaze to the Ookami assembled before her.

"Show us the way," Daiki said, motioning for the other Ookami to follow them.

Slowly, everyone started to leave the battlefield. A few of the passing ninja gave Neji sympathetic looks. Others gave him looks of fear. Some didn't even look at him at all.

"I'm sorry about that," Gaara said when everyone was gone.

"It's fine," Neji murmured. "I knew it was coming anyway."

"Walk with me?" the Kazekage asked, motioning to the forest behind Neji.

For the first time in a while, the former Hyuuga smiled a little.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

Sliding his arm around his boyfriend's waist, Gaara tugged on the side seam of his shirt.

"I'm the fucking Kazekage. What could possibly go wrong?"

Resting his head on Gaara's arm, Neji let himself be led into the trees. They walked in silence for a while, both lost in thought. Fury was coursing through Gaara, rage directed at his lover's cousin. How dare he talk to Neji like that! As far as Gaara was concerned, Neji was the best thing that could have ever happened to that clan. He was powerful. He was wise. The twenty-year-old was a genius in all regards.

"Thanks for sticking up for me," Neji finally said. "You didn't need to."

"I think I'm already on his bad side so its no loss for me," Gaara replied. "So, is it true that your reflection talks to you?"

Neji tensed for a moment and nodded.

"Yes. Minoru has always been there, no matter how hard I tried to ignore him. Are you scared of me now?"

Gaara laughed at that.

"I'm not, but Shukaku is."

"Really?" Neji asked, finding this a bit more than amusing.

"I'm not kidding. He seems to think that you Ookami are more powerful than he is. Naruto seemed nervous as well, though that's probably the Kyuubi showing."

Sighing, Neji stopped walking and turned his boyfriend to face him. They stared at each other for a moment before Neji kissed him softly.

"I don't really know what to do," he said. "Not about being disowned from the clan, but about the whole Ookami thing."

"I'm sure that the others will explain it to you," Gaara reassured him, playing with a strand of Neji's long hair.

"I'm sure they will, but it still seems strange to me that I'm suddenly half something that I never knew I was."

"It's scary figuring out what you really are."

"Fuck yeah. It's fucking terrifying."

The lovers hugged each other close, Neji's tail wrapping around his body to rub against Gaara's shin. Smiling, Gaara licked at Neji's ear, making the ninja moan softly.

"Don't worry, love. Everything will be fine," the Kazekage purred.

'If I'm not skinned first,' Neji thought sadly.

**Wow, a whole lot of stuff went down in that chapter. Okay, I know that Neji and Hiashi are supposed to be repairing their relationship in the original manga, but I really don't like her character so… I made him into an angry cripple. ****Shrug**

**Preview: Everyone has questions for Neji about his strange power, but most are questions that only the Ookami can solve. Himura Utake's retainer also gives the Hokage his information.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Summary: Everyone has questions for Neji about his strange power and are suddenly suspicious of him, but most of the questions that ones that only the Ookami can answer. **

Chapter 14

"He's one of those half-wolf people!"

"Hiashi-san disowned him!"

"Poor Hinata-san. Having to live with such a thing as your relative must be hard!"

"I'm surprised he's even came back alive. I thought the Kazekage was going to kill him for sure."

Gaara scowled at this last comment as he and Neji made their way through Hokage Tower. Ignoring Tsunade's orders, the majority of the Konoha ninja had assembled in the halls of the Tower, waiting to see Neji. The place had been filled with noise before he got there, but, as soon as the white-eyed ninja stepped into the Tower, the noise only increased tenfold.

"Aren't you bothered at all by what they're saying?" Gaara asked as he walked beside his lover.

"Fucking Hyuuga. It was bad enough with the Kyuubi around, but now we have to deal with another one," one of the ninja muttered nearby.

"Not really," Neji said, replying to Gaara's question. "At this point, I really don't give a fucking damn."

"We can't afford to have another demon in the village."

"Even if people find out about us?" Gaara asked.

"I wonder who will try and take him out first."

"Hm, probably not," Neji replied. "Uncle was the only one that I really wanted to hide it from, but since I've already been disowned, it doesn't matter anymore."

"Good," the Kazekage murmured.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, he felt a warm arm grasp his waist and he was pulled into Gaara's side, a hand rubbing his hipbone. Neji tensed for a moment before he leaned into his lover, letting his body relax. The whispers changed quickly to include the Kazekage in their gossip.

"Are you ready for this?" Gaara asked as they arrived at Tsunade's office.

"This is one situation where I don't really have a choice. I'd rather not get skinned."

"What?"

Opening the door, Neji casually walked into the Hokage's office, Gaara following him, confused.

"You've caused quite a stir and I don't just mean that display downstairs," Tsunade sighed from where she sat at her desk. "Not that I didn't appreciate it."

She smiled a little and motioned to the open chair across from her, which Neji took. Daiki was next to him, his tail resting on his lap. Rei, Emi, and Ketai all stood beside his chair. On Tsunade's desk, a thick book bound in leather lay open.

"So, shall we begin?" the Hokage asked.

"As you know, the Ookami are the humanoid manifestations of nature's powers. Each of us have our own individual powers that reflect whatever part of nature we are. Yours is based on the reflections of people and things whether its in a mirror or water or whatever. Now, Emi, Rei, and myself are three of the four seasons. I represent spring so I can summon rain. My bite is also poisonous. Emi is summer and Rei is fall while Ketai represents nightmares," Daiki explained.

Sitting forward in his chair, Daiki grabbed the tome from the desk and gave it to Neji.

"This is the family tree of our entire species, tracing our ancestry back to the wolf demon, Asuka. Whenever an Ookami child is born, their true name is recorded in here. See, here is your family's line," Daiki explained, pointing to a name towards the bottom of the page.

"Sugata," Neji read. "Reflection. That's fitting."

"Your mother is a direct descendent of the Umi line," Daiki said.

"Meaning?"

"Asuka had four children: Hibiki, Kage, Ki, and Umi. Their father was a human, making them half-demons. They were the first Ookami and all of us are descended from one of them. You're descended from Umi, the youngest, while my children and I are from the Hibikino family. Unfortunately, the Kino line has died off and Emi is the last of the Kageno."

"It looks like I'm not the last of mine though," Neji mused. "Who are Fuyu and Arashi?"

"Fuyu is your cousin and Arashi is his son."

"I never knew that I had any family on my mother's side. Where are they?"

"We don't actually know."

"Why not? You knew where I was."

"We actually only came here on an assumption. We found out that Himura was ready to attack Konoha and guessed that he would only go to such measures if there was an Ookami involved. It was only when you first transformed that we knew for sure that you were here. When an Ookami releases a large amount of power, other Ookami can sense it and we instantly know your general location, even a specific one if we're close enough. As for Fuyu and Arashi, Something is masking their official location from us, although we did sense Fuyu's power coming from the Land of Water a few days ago. The good news is that whatever is hiding them from us is also hiding them from Himura. He seems to have no idea where they are."

"That's a relief," Neji said.

"However, it doesn't mean that any of us are safe," Daiki sighed.

"Why is that?" Gaara asked.

"We Ookami used to have a village of our own, a long time ago. It was a safe haven for us, but, around a hundred years ago, a ninja snuck into the village and forged a copy of our Sei no Hon (1) that so conveniently found its way to the Utake family. We managed to keep the village going until 35 years ago when raiders forced us to abandon it, scattering the remains of our kind all over the world," Rei said, her voice cold.

"This replica of the Sei no Hon apparently copies whatever is written in the original book," Daiki added, "Including our Ookami names as well as our date of birth."

"So whoever has the book always know exactly how many Ookami exist in the world," Neji said slowly.

Daiki nodded.

"What's so important about that?" Gaara asked.

"When the number of us goes up, the hunts increase and we are usually brought back to barebones levels within a matter of years. It's a never ending cycle."

"And now, all because of one bastard and his loyalty to the Utake family, our ancestor's pelts adorn the walls of rich men's homes," Rei spat.

Gaara glanced down at his lover, a horrified look in his eyes.

"Thankfully, that isn't the case anymore," Tsunade said, reaching into a drawer in her desk.

She tossed an exact replica of the tome on the desk.

"How the hell did you manage that?" all of the Ookami shouted at the same time.

"One of Himura's retainers brought it to me, asking for asylum," Tsunade said, smirking. "Apparently, you aren't the only enemies that Lord Utake has. Now-"

She walked leaned forward, settling her elbows on the desk.

"-I am willing to offer the same to you all until Himura is either in our custody or dead. Neji, I've already heard from Kurenai your decision to remain on the battlefield despite this… new information and I agree with you."

"You aren't going to keep us away, either," Daiki said, his voice strong.

"And I don't plan to," the Hokage replied. "However, Neji, I cannot leave you to your own devices on the battlefield. You will be paired up with someone else-"

She paused when Gaara's hand drifted up to Neji's shoulder, gripping it hard. Without changing his outward emotion, Neji met his fingers, intertwining them in a tight grip.

"-Gaara, it seems. If anything goes wrong and it gets too dangerous, you both will be forced to leave for safety and that is an order."

"Don't worry," Gaara replied. "It won't be a hard one to follow."

"As for you," Tsunade continued, motioning to the other Ookami. "You all will follow the same rule. If I deem it too dangerous for you to be there, you flee back to the village, okay?"

"We can take care of ourselves," Rei muttered, her fangs bared.

"Sister, please. We'll do as we are ordered," Ketai said as he bowed his head to the Hokage.

"Good."

Tsunade nodded and stood. Neji and Daiki copied her and bowed in respect as they turned to leave. The Ookami were the first to exit the room, Daiki whispering something to Rei. Gaara and Neji followed close behind, their hands still clasped tightly.

**(1) Sei no Hon means Book of Life and it is the name of the book that contains the Ookami family tree.**

**Sorry guys, but I really am iffy about this chapter. I like some of the content in it because it is important, but the actual writing and the chapter itself, I'm not sure about. I was kind of writing it while watching Family Guy, which may have been part of the problem. The next one will be much better, I promise. I don't know if it'll be long, but there's going to be a lot of important content.**

**Preview: The second day of fighting starts off with more startling news. Then, Neji is back on the battlefield, just with Gaara at his side this time. Meanwhile, a small band of Himura's soldiers attack the back wall of Konoha and Kakashi is busy protecting it with the Genin when a new force appears at the battle raging by the front gates of the village.**


	16. Chapter 15

**Summary: The second day of fighting starts with Neji back on the battlefield, just with Gaara at his side this time. Meanwhile, a small band of Himura's soldiers attack the back wall of Konoha and Kakashi is busy protecting it with the Genin when a new force appears at the battle raging by the front gates of the village.**

Chapter 15

The second day of Konohagakure's battle with Himura Utake's army was calm as any other could be in the summer months, or at least on nature's end. The sun rose just after 6:15, throwing golden light onto the once darkened land. Birds stirred in their nests and chirped loudly to greet the welcomed warmth. Even the plants seemed to be happy, their leaves shining in the faint light. It seemed that only the humans and the Ookami felt any sort of tension towards the day's coming events.

Less than a few minutes after the sun had risen, Neji stood in the bathroom of Gaara's temporary apartment, staring at the mirror. He was dressed in only a pair of white pajama pants, his pale chest bare as were his feet. His hair was loose and, somehow, knot free. Reaching up slowly, he touched the black mark on his forehead, sighing.

"Neji! Hurry up!" Gaara called as he stepped into the bathroom. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Neji replied, smiling.

"He's not," Minoru muttered.

"Shut the fuck up!" Neji shouted at his reflection.

"What's up, love?" Gaara asked, wrapping his arms around Neji's thin waist. "Or do I have to ask Minoru to tell me everything?"

"I'm just starting to feel the shock, I guess," the smaller ninja said, tapping the curse mark again.

"Aw. Little Neji feels bad about being kicked out of the clan," Minoru teased.

"I thought I told you to shut up?" Neji hissed.

"Neji, love, be nice," Gaara laughed. "Thanks for the tip, Minoru."

"No prob," the reflection said, waving goodbye to them as Neji was dragged away.

"So now you're teaming up with that asshole? Great. You two will be the death of me," the Hyuuga muttered as Gaara threw his shirt at him.

"Don't pout. Minoru is just an avenue into your heart."

"You were already there, stupid."

"Thanks."

"I'm almost ready," Neji said as he pulled down his pajama pants.

Turning away, Gaara blushed heavily.

"You've already seen everything. What's the problem?" Neji teased.

"Just get changed before I jump you. Tsunade called for us," Gaara groaned, trying to fight back the arousal that had jolted down his spine and to his groin.

Neji rolled his eyes, but quickly threw on the black pants of his typical uniform. When he was done, he tied his hair back with the small metal clasp. The last thing he put on was his hitai-ate. Setting the cloth against forehead, Neji bent forward slightly, tying the two ends in a tight knot at the back of his head. As he straightened, Gaara turned to him and silently asked a question. Neji silently answered and they headed for the door, quickly leaving the apartment.

"You seem really calm," Neji said as the couple walked towards the front gates of Konoha.

His mask had slid into place.

"Strangely, I am. Maybe its because I won't have to worry about not being able to keep an eye on you," the Kazekage mused.

"I can take care of myself," Neji muttered. "I'm not a Jounin for nothing."

"I know, but your position only makes me worry more. Being a Jounin means that you have to take higher ranked missions and you're more likely to be faced with an opponent that could kill you. I feel like if I can at least keep you within my line of sight, I can prevent something terrible from happening," Gaara admitted.

As they rounded a corner, Neji laid his hand on Gaara's shoulder for a moment.

"Then you'd better keep your eyes wide open today because I'm not holding back," he said seriously.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from Konoha's prodigy," Gaara replied, holding Neji's gaze.

When they arrived at the front gates, Tsunade and several others were already waiting. The Hokage stood a ways away from her ninja, examining the battlefield before her. Most of the ninja appeared to be apprehensive, fidgeting somewhat even before they noticed Neji's presence. A few of them, such as the eternally bored Shikamaru, were calm and quiet. Only Guy –and his exuberant apprentice Lee, of course- were happy, praising the loveliness of the day.

Gaara quickly took up residence at the Hokage's side while Neji was left to mingle with the other ninja before the enemy arrived. Spotting his team from the day before, Neji moved towards them, his face a frozen mask of arrogant confidence.

"It's about time. We were starting to wonder if you still had the Kazekage's dick up your ass," one of the older Jounin muttered as Neji walked past him.

A few around him snickered.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I was a little bit too busy sleeping to get laid last night. Quite a shame too. I just hate being prepared for a battle, don't you?" Neji replied coldly.

"If you think that sleeping with that Suna demon is going to bring you up in the world, then it's best to forget it," the same Jounin hissed.

"That's interesting coming from a man who tries to sleep with anything that has any slight scent of power on it at all," Neji remarked.

"I don't know what you are talking about," the ninja said, frowning.

"Don't be so unprofessional. You and I both know what I'm talking about. Just because I refuse to ruin someone's reputation by mentioning their name and yours in the same sentence doesn't mean that I'm stupid or ignorant of your behavior," Neji muttered, his voice laced with ice.

He could feel the claws hidden beneath his skin itching to be released and bury themselves in the man's flesh. However, Neji ignored the feeling, turning back to his team. He was about to open his mouth to say something to them when a cry rung out over the field.

"Is everyone here?" Tsunade called out to her ninjas.

"Only a Kiba, Kankuro, and Ino are missing, Hokage-sama," one of the Chuunin replied.

"No we're not!" Ino cried as she ran up to them.

'Well, I know who really had his boyfriend's dick up his ass,' Neji thought, his eyes following Kiba who skidded to a stop behind Ino.

"Hey," Hinata murmured from beside him. "Thanks for not mentioning my name when you were talking to Isaka-san."

She motioned to the Jounin that had been badmouthing Neji. He was scowling heavily as one of his friends, a Chuunin, whispered something in his ear.

"No problem," Neji replied, tapping his cousin's hand with his finger. "Is uncle here?"

"Thankfully no. He tried to follow me here, but Tsunade-san sent him home. Mother and Hanabi are really angry over what he did yesterday," Hinata sighed.

Neji just shrugged in reply.

"I'll be fine."

"Neji-nii-san, we're about to go into battle. I don't think the cold attitude is necessary."

"I may not be part of the clan anymore, but I refuse to give up on some of its principals."

Hinata smiled and nodded. She was happy to see that despite the sudden –and, as she and many others believed, unfair- stripping of Neji's status as a Hyuuga hadn't changed him too drastically. He was still the same person that she'd looked up to for her whole life.

"We'd best be strong," Tsunade shouted as she and Gaara walked back over to the group of ninja. "My guess is that they will be just as strong as last time, if not stronger."

"Then let us go out to meet them first," a voice said.

The group of ninja turned to see Daiki and the other Ookami approaching them. They were still in their half-wolf forms, making most of the ninja shudder.

"Haru, I don't think that is a good idea," Neji replied. "It'll separate us into two groups, something the Hokage things is clearly unnecessary right now."

He motioned to the large group around him. Shikamaru and Temari's specialized teams, as well as Neji's own, had been given orders to meet with the rest of their village's ninja and that they would all fight as once collective unit.

"However-" the former Hyuuga added slowly, then stopped. "Jun-san?"

The ninja that had been harassing Neji early scowled at him.

"You perform water-based jutsu, yes?"

"Yeah," Jun muttered.

"Are you capable of covering most of this field in… an inch of water?" Neji asked.

"What are you planning, Neji?" Tsunade asked, giving him a curious look.

"Something that will make this fight a whole lot easier on us," the former Hyuuga replied.

"Hey! If you think that you can just circumvent the Hokage's decisions and-"

"-Jun," Tsunade warned, cutting the Jounin's words off entirely.

"I'm not going around Tsunade-sama's decisions. I'm just trying to implement a way that will diminish the damage," Neji said coldly.

"Do you really think that this plan of yours will work?" Gaara asked.

Neji nodded and smiled a little, almost wickedly. His arrogance was back in full swing.

"It's full proof."

"Shouldn't we at least know what the plan is?" one of the other ninja, a Chuunin, asked.

"Can you perform Water Surface Walking (1) and fight while using it?"

"Yes."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem. Even if there was, it'll be only a little bit of water under you. You won't drown."

He glanced at Tsunade who nodded.

"If you think it will work and it meets the standards we set down yesterday," she said.

"They're coming!" Guy shouted, pointing to the other side of the field.

The shrouded figures of Himura's soldiers were marching towards them in the same fashion as yesterday, swords already drawn. Steeling himself, Neji turned to Jun.

"Well?"

The Jounin grit his teeth and begrudgingly formed a series of seals. Kneeling down, he slammed his hands, face down, onto the grass. The earth beneath them rumbled slightly as water from the tiny rivers and reservoirs far below the surface started to rise. Focusing his chakra on his feet, Neji felt himself being lifted from the ground as the water pooled underneath him and spread. Within a matter of moments, the entire field was covered with a thin layer of water.

"Happy?" Jun spat.

Not replying, Neji glanced down at his feet. Minoru was smiling up at him, knowing exactly what Neji's plan was.

"What next?" Tsunade asked.

"We'll do just as you suggested: attacking as one," Neji replied. "I just need to change my form is all."

"Are you sure that-"

"-It's best to have all of his powers available for use," Daiki said. "Our intermediate form allows us to access both our ninja skills and hand seals as well as our Ookami powers."

Neji nodded in agreement as his ear started to elongate and shift. His tail appeared in a flash of dark fur, swishing easily back and forth. Neji's fingernails changed from their normal pinkish clear color to black within seconds before they grew into long, curved claws. The sharp tang of blood filled his mouth as his teeth morphed into pointed fangs.

"Are you ready?" Minoru asked when Neji was done.

He too had undergone the change from human to half-human.

Rolling his eyes, Neji spat back, "What the fuck do you think?"

Minoru just smiled and turned a bit to look at the advancing army.

"So, do you want me to go in first?" the reflection asked.

"Wait until they reach the water. We don't want them getting away," Neji hissed.

Neji felt something soft touch his tail. Looking over, he saw Ketai give him a smile and a nod of encouragement before pulling his own gray tail away. Turning back to face forward, they watched as the soldiers stepped into the water, seeming to ignore it. When they were close enough for Neji's taste, the Hyuuga silently nodded to Minoru.

Suddenly, something dark streaked across the water, heading straight for the approaching army. It was impossible to make out its solid form, instead resembling a shadow. There was a flash and one of the soldiers in the front row was thrown backwards into a tree, his neck snapping loudly. A cry of fear rang out among Himura Utake's soldiers as more and more were cut down, falling into the water with faint splashes.

Glancing over at Neji with wide eyes, Gaara saw his boyfriend staring straight ahead, his face cold. Noticing something odd on the edge of his vision, the Kazekage looked down. Minoru was gone.

"How is he doing that?" Gaara asked, breathless.

Neji chuckled slightly.

"Reflections are just a two-dimension copy of the moves of their real life counterpart. This means that is the real person is hurt, so is the reflection, although in most cases, this goes the other way. However, with Minoru being a free-moving reflection able of choosing his own actions and the life, he can cause this rule to be flipped on his its head, you could say," the former Hyuuga explained.

"So he can hurt and even kill real life people by doing that to their reflections," Gaara murmured.

"As long as the reflection is within the same frame of whatever he is being reflection on, then yes," Neji replied.

A loud whoop of joy could be heard from the bloody mess of water up ahead.

"Come on! There's plenty more coming," Minoru shouted back to them as he delivered a harsh blow to another soldier.

"You'd better all come back alive," Tsunade said to the assembled group of ninja and Ookami that were behind her.

"Of course, Hokage-sama!" was the reply.

"Then let's beat some sense these bloody fools! Let's show them the error of trying to attack us!

"Stay close to me," Gaara whispered as he and Neji took off for the battle ahead.

He had been sitting in Hokage Tower with the Genin ever since Tsunade's orders to prepare for another attack had been issued not long before. Bored with the prospect of having to sit out the entire battle, Kakashi had allowed himself to slip into 'the realm of awakened unconsciousness' as he called it, basically forcing his eyes to stay open as his mind slowly receded away from the current times and into his memory. He focused on a list of jutsu, their uses, and hand seals had he always kept in his head, finding that it helped to keep his mind off of other, sadder things.

An explosion rocked Konoha, throwing Kakashi out of his almost meditative state. Leaping up from his seat in the lobby of the Tower, the Jounin ran towards the door and into the street

"Hurry up!" Kakashi shouted to the Genin that were following close behind.

The Jounin skidded to a stop when he was a few blocks away from Konoha's back wall. He could see flames licking at the far side of the stone, burning brightly as the old wall started to crumble.

Shit!" he cursed as he started to run towards it. "Earth Style Wall!

A wall of dark, solid rock sprang up just inside the old one as it collapsed. Kakashi swore again when he saw dark figures leaping over his new wall, kunai flashing in the their hands.

"Be ready!" Kakashi shouted to the Genin behind him, dropping into a battle-ready stance. "Konohamaru, go tell Tsunade-sama what has happened!"

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei!" the Genin replied as he ran towards the front gates of the village.

"Perfect, just fucking perfect," Kakashi muttered to himself, a faint smile flitting onto his face beneath the mask.

The battle by the front gates was still fierce and heavy as Konohamaru reached the Hokage, quickly helping her to dispense of a nearly-dead soldier that was holding onto his last shred of determined hope.

"The enemy has breached the western wall," he reported. "Kakashi-sensei and the other Genin have engaged the enemy there."

"Fuck! Tell him that we cannot spare any of the Chuunin or Jounin and that he's going to need to figure it out for himself," Tsunade screamed as another soldier rushed at her.

Konohamaru's heart sank, but he nodded before rushing back towards the village. Anger coursed through Tsunade as she delivered a strong, chakra-filled kick to the soldier's stomach, breaking all of his ribs and even damaging his lungs. As the soldier feel to his knees, another blow, not one from Tsunade this time, made him fall onto his stomach, dead in the water. The Hokage looked down just in time to see Minoru speed off somewhere else.

She noticed that Neji and Gaara were not far away, trying to pick off some of the newer waves of soldiers that had rushed into battle a few moments before. Most of the other Ookami were in their full wolf forms, tearing at the soldiers with their claws and teeth. One man screamed as a fierce bite from the brown-furred Emi caused his arm to burst into flames, the skin turning to blacked ash in a matter of moments. Only Rei and Keita were still in their half-human forms, like Neji, switching back and forth between their two sets of skills as they quickly dispatched of the approaching enemy.

"Look!" Keita suddenly shouted, pointing to the far end of the battlefield.

A man as large as Daiki when he was in his human form had just walked out of the trees, a giant curved sword in one hand. Tsunade could just make out the bulk of his huge body and the sharply defined muscles of his arms. He had blindingly blond hair that was cropped short on one side and left as long as his shoulder on the other. His body was adorned with the armor of Himura Utake's army. As he approached, the remaining soldiers drew away from the ninja, fear etched into his face.

"Holy fucking shit, it's Aku," Rei hissed.

"I never thought that he would come," Keita murmured.

"Who-"

Even Neji and Gaara had stopped fighting to look at the man approaching them.

"-We must be careful of him," Neji growled. "Something doesn't feel right about him."

Power flowed from the man, Aku, like water falling from the edge of the cliff: strong and without abandon. Even Neji and Tsunade, people who were not easily intimidated, backed up a step as the man came closer.

Suddenly though, a new source of power, this one cold, but not in the bloodlust driven way of Aku, appeared nearby, drawing the attention of Neji and the other Ookami. The ninja around them didn't notice. Their entire focus was on Aku. The Ookami all turned to look at the hill to their right, seeing another man standing atop it.

He was slim, perhaps too slim, his hair pulled back into a long ponytail. From what Neji could see, his hair was thick and curled slightly at the end, the end of his ponytail sticking out slightly from behind his head. He was dressed in plain clothing and his skin was a dark tan color. His tail hung behind him lazily. Despite not being able to see the man's face, Neji felt that the chakra emanating from the man was familiar and comforting. Activating his Byakugan, Neji examined the man's chakra flow, his mouth dropping open when he recognized it. He was about to speak, but Ketai beat it to him.

"Fuyu," he said, smiling widely. "We're finally going to meet him."

**This is the first technique that Jiraiya ever taught Naruto, or at least in the manga, where a ninja is able to walk on water. **

**Now there is a chapter I'm proud of. It took me a while to write this one because I can't read or write in the car, but here it is and I think it is damn good.**

**Preview: Fuyu faces off against Aku, one of Himura's best Ookami hunters, one-on-one, putting a temporary stop to the battle between Konoha and Himura's army. Meanwhile, Kakashi and the Genins' battle rages on.**


	17. Chapter 16

**Summary: Fuyu faces off against Aku, one of Himura's best Ookami hunters, one-on-one, putting a temporary stop to the battle between Konoha and Himura's army. Meanwhile, Kakashi and the Genins' battle finishes.**

Chapter 16

The Konoha and Suna ninja all stood together in a group, their gaze turning to Fuyu. The Ookami were littered among them and silent. Fuyu had not moved from his spot atop the hill, although Aku was ever moving closer.

"Let us retreat back to the gates," Minoru said, his eyes trained on Fuyu.

"Why?" some of the ninja cried.

"This is not our battle to fight, not even Neji's and mine as Ookami. Fuyu wants to kill Aku himself," Minoru explained.

"How do you know that?" Jun shouted. "You're a fucking-"

"-Ookami's reflection? Why, yes, I am. That means that I know what the Ookami feel, what they're hoping for, what they feel. I am Neji's power personified. Don't tell me what I know," Minoru hissed in reply.

"Minoru is right," Rei murmured, taking a step back. "We should leave this to Fuyu. Besides, look. All of Himura's other men have left. Aku wants a fight with only one of us."

Tsunade grit her teeth for a moment, but nodded.

"We'll let your brethren take care of him," she said, motioning to Aku.

"Great, its another damn outsider we are forced to trust," Jun muttered.

"He is our brethren, Jun-san but he is Neji's cousin. That should be more than enough for you," Ketai replied, laughing.

"Akumu, be quiet," Neji said. "You're not going to help yourself in his eyes, no matter what you say or do. His ideas are set in stone."

"If you so much as dare to talk about me like I'm not here again, I swear that I'll cut your fucking cock off and -"

"Jun! Hold your tongue!" Tsunade commander, her voice rough with anger. She calmed herself a bit before asking the Ookami, "How can any of you be sure that your Fuyu will win? Aku, as you called him, seems powerful enough to maybe even defeat me."

"I don't think it is a matter of strength, right now," Gaara said.

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked.

"That man is here for a revenge the kind of which I've never seen before and I know revenge better than most," Gaara replied.

"We'd better step back," Tsunade said, motioning to them all.

Slowly, each ninja and Ookami turned away, quickly heading back across the lake of water that Jun had made. Minoru trailed not far behind, catching up to Neji and falling into his step. When they reached the gates, they all turned to look back and watch.

Fuyu had silently made his way down the hill and was now standing on the edge of the lake, while the swordsman Aku stood in the middle of it. The dark Ookami's face was no more than a profile of wild hair to the far away ninja and Ookami. He and Aku eyed each other carefully, sizing each other up.

Fuyu raised his right foot and stepped out onto the lake. As soon as his bare skin touched the surface, the water around it froze and spread out in an arc, reaching Aku. The man stood there as the water he stood in turned to ice and continue past he. He seemed unfazed by the whole thing, actually chuckling a little when he saw that the entire lake was frozen.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Fuyu," Aku said, moving his legs so the ice around him legs broke.

The Ookami did not reply, a breeze moving lightly through the long bangs that hung over his cheeks.

"I hope you have been well these five years," the soldier continued. We wondered where you went, especially since it was the dead of winter when you left us. Then again, you are Winter himself. No wonder you survived."

Again, the Ookami said nothing, preferring silence.

"And how about your son? Is he well, your little bitch of a thing?" Aku sneered.

Fuyu smiled a bit before he said, "He is fine, thank you for asking. I know it was not the answer you were looking for, but I was never one for lies."

Although they couldn't hear what they were saying, the Konoha ninja all frowned when Fuyu flicked his bangs away from his face. Memories stirred in their brains as the familiar profile was made clear for only a moment before it was once again hidden behind wisps of dark hair.

"I've been waiting for this rematch," Aku said, waving his sword in front of him.

"I have as well, although my desired outcome is far different from yours, I guess," Fuyu remarked.

Aku laughed before he swung at Fuyu's head. The Ookami easily ducked and rolled out of the way atop the ice. Jumping up, Fuyu faced Aku again, their eyes meeting. Fuyu's chocolate brown eyed turned to ice blue as his killer instincts rose up in him. He growled, dropping onto all fours. Chuckling again, Aku made another swipe, one that the Ookami managed to dodge, but that did cut through the part of his shirt between his hips.

"You're faster than before," the hunter mused.

"I'm in a different form than before," Fuyu replied. "When we last fought, I believed that I was only human."

"Ah, so knowledge makes a man stronger?" Aku asked as the Ookami started to circle him.

"Sometimes," the wolf-man said, shrugging.

"I believe that only physical prowess makes one stronger," the hunter laughed, aiming a strong blow to Fuyu's right side.

Grinning, Fuyu leapt forward, clawing at the hunter's shoulders. With a wild shout, Aku twisted his body, throwing Fuyu off. The wolf-man easily landed on all fours, his claws digging into the dirt. The hunter's sword came down only inches from his face as Fuyu jumped back, growling low.

"Come on, Ookami, I want to see your power!"

Fuyu dodged another calculated swing.

"You really want to see it?" Fuyu asked.

"I don't want to fight a man who only uses half of his power. That's cheating us both out of a good fight."

"I am not here for a good fight. I am here to kill you."

"Either way."

"As you wish."

Before the great Ookami hunter could respond in any way, the ice under him shot upwards, forming two waves that bore down on him. Jumping out of the way, Aku laughed like a child.

"Amazing," he cheered. "Brilliantly amazing."

"I do not perform these feats for your pleasure," Fuyu replied, muttering.

"Of course not, but it is amazing all the same."

The hunter took another step back and, suddenly, his foot fell through the ice which quickly closed around his leg. Struggling, Aku tried to get free, but found that he couldn't. Fuyu stood on his back legs as the wind around them picked up. Aku raised his gaze to look into the blue eyes of the Ookami, shivering when he saw the cold snows that fell in them. Without warning, those snows burst forth around them, falling soft onto his exposed skin. A few flakes stuck in the Ookami's hair, white against brown. The storm of wind, ice, and snow raged around them before it suddenly rose up into the shape of a giant wolf behind Fuyu. The Ookami gave the hunter a sad look, smiling softly.

"I'm sorry about this," Iruka said sadly.

The wolf made of snow and ice leapt over him, its mouth agape as it came down on the awaiting hunter, its fangs made of icicles. Iruka closed his eyes and waited for the howling of the wind to die down. He sighed somewhat, his mind drifting.

Suddenly though, he felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. His eyes flew open, shifting back to their original brown as he looked down to find a hand covered in green chakra settled into a large gap just inside the right side of the v of his hips. Blood poured out of the wound as Aku smiled up at him. Iruka coughed once, feeling more blood dribble onto his chin. Aku was covered in cuts and blood. Of course, Iruka hadn't meant to kill him, just to knock him unconscious. However, it seemed that he had underestimated the man.

"You didn't really think that I wouldn't notice that?" the hunter asked, motioning to where his hand rested.

Iruka gazed down at him, shocked.

"Run along and die, Iruka Umino, Ookami of Winter," Aku cackled as his hand slipped out of the wound, falling to the ice covered ground. "I'll be there to collect your pelt later."

With that, the man fell unconscious, a malicious smile still at his mouth. Iruka coughed again, his whole body shivering. Only one of his seals, the one that was impeded the furthest into his flesh, had remained intact after the man's hand had ripped the wound open. He knew that he was going to die if he didn't get to a safe place soon. Coughing into his hand, Iruka clenched it into a fist, gripping the drops of blood in it. He shuddered before he fell to his knees.

"Fuyu!" a voice shouted far behind him.

"Hey! Ookami!" another cried.

Iruka's eyes widened when he recognized this voice. Scrambling up, he fought down another cough and, holding his abdomen closed, ran away from the voices. Tsunade got her hands on him, she'd know what the wound was from. He didn't want them to know, not yet. He had to find Kakashi first.

Taking off into the trees, Iruka panted heavily, blood weeping between his fingers. He bit back a cry of pain and sorrow as he dodged around trees, tears filling his eyes.

The pain was worse than any he had felt before, even more than when he had last seen Mizuki. His ex-boyfriend had broken out of the jail cell he'd been put in after he'd tried to kill Naruto. Although ANBU had been dispatched to find him, no one had informed Iruka, Mizuki's prime target, of the crazed ninja's escape. Mizuki had found him in an alley, walking home late from the Academy. It had been past eight-thirty at night and the ninja had attacked Iruka from behind, knocking him down. Never before had Iruka felt pain as bad as when Mizuki had taken him dry and without preparation. Blood had pooled around the teacher like it meant to drown him. Iruka would have died if Kakashi hadn't found him on his way home after a mission that had run later than expected. That day had been where their relationship started.

When Iruka thought he'd lost them, he collapsed at the base of a giant oak, his breath coming in hard. He lifted his hand from his abdomen, shaking as he slowly, but steadily formed the series of seals. His vision was blurring as the chakra flowed easily down into his hands. The blood he'd already lost had weakened him severely and he knew that he only had enough energy to lay down one seal. Setting his hands onto his stomach, he pressed the walls of flesh together, the seal working to hold them in place. When it was done, he let his hands fall to his sides, leaning back against the bark.

Tsunade leaned down next to him and murmured, "Oh Iruka. What happened to you?"

Iruka met her eyes and smiled a little. "A whole lot of shit, but something good came out of it."

"Don't talk. I need to get you back to Konoha," the Hokage said, shushing him.

Coughing, Iruka shook his head. "No, I need to find Kakashi first."

"I understand that, but he won't want to see you like this," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

She picked Iruka's hands up off his body and frowned when she saw the seal and wound underneath. Her eyes flicked up to Iruka, widened slightly.

"What-"

"-Please, don't ask yet. I have to talk to Kakashi first," Iruka groaned as his vision darkened.

"Iruka, I don't-"

"-No. Kakashi first," the former teacher moaned as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Kakashi, meanwhile, found that the force that had attacked the back wall were less talented swordsmen than he'd hoped. They feel easily, even to the youngest and newest Genin. The Jounin had managed to keep his earth wall standing while he fought with those that had slipped in through the broken wall.

"They are retreating!" Konohamaru shouted.

Kakashi looked up from his newest fallen opponent to see the remaining swordsmen running further into the village, the weapons abandoned. They were met, however, with an angry group of Genin that were waiting to tie them up.

"And so easily, they are caught," Kakashi sighed. "Get those prisoners to the jail. Tsunade-sama will decide what to do with them when she returns."

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," the army of Genin replied as they took the imprisoned swordsmen away.

"The rest of you, get to the hospital. The medics will check all your wounds."

"Are you not coming with us, Kakashi-sensei?" Konohamaru asked.

"No," Kakashi replied. "I must report to Tsunade."

"Kakashi!"

The Jounin turned to see Guy running towards him. He sighed softly, fearing what was coming.

"Yes?"

"I was just a witness to something purely fantastic! It was beyond anything that my youthful eyes have ever seen before, power so exhilarating to watch and see come to fruition!" Guy cried.

"I really don't give a damn," Kakashi muttered.

"I know, but you have to hear about it, my dear rival!" Guy replied happily.

"Not now, Guy. I have to report to Tsunade's office," Kakashi sighed.

"You won't find her there. She's at the hospital," Guy told him.

"Who was injured? Not Neji, I hope."

Guy was puzzled for a moment by the copy-nin's sudden interest in the former Hyuuga, but he quickly let it by.

"No, one of the other Ookami. Someone named Fuyu. Apparently he's Neji-kun's cousin, but he's on a whole other level of youthful strength! He is clearly caught in the peak of youthful glory, surrounded by flowers of gold… or rather snowflakes of gold!"

"I'll just wait for her there then," Kakashi muttered as he walked towards the hospital, Guy not far behind him.

**Preview: Tsunade operates on Iruka in secret and then has to meet with Kakashi while keeping Iruka's existence in Konoha a secret from the Jounin. Kakashi later goes home to find Pakkun and a small boy sitting in his living room.**


	18. Chapter 17

**Summary: Tsunade operates on Iruka in secret and then has to meet with Kakashi while keeping Iruka's existence in Konoha a secret from the Jounin. Kakashi later goes home to find Pakkun and a small boy sitting in his living room. Himura Utake discovers that his book is missing. Neji hears shocking information from Daiki.**

Chapter 17

As soon as Iruka had fallen into unconsciousness, Tsunade had summoned a slug to find Shikamaru. She knew that he would stay silent as Iruka wanted them too, even if she didn't explain why he had to be.

They carried the unconscious former ninja into the village by means of a secret passage that the Sixth Hokage had constructed not long after she'd taken the post. The passage started in a small cave a mile from the walls of Konoha and ended in the basement of the hospital. It had been constructed as a precaution in case the village was attacked, but she'd never had to use it before, not even in the Fourth Great War.

Tsunade chose a small operating room on the top floor of the hospital. When they had Iruka situated on the table, Tsunade sent Shikamaru away to find Shizune.

"What shall I tell her?" Shikamaru asked.

"Just that I need to see her. Make sure that no one follows you on your way back," Tsunade said.

With a nod, Shikamaru was gone, replaced by the sound of a quietly closing door. Turning back to the injured Iruka, Tsunade tore away his bloodied clothing and examined the wound more closely. She hissed under her breath when she saw the seal marks that had been burned into his skin from years of use. Slowly, steadily, she spread the walls of the wound apart, chakra flooding from her hands to hold back the blood.

"Shit," she muttered to herself when she noticed the faint dark symbols that rested at the bottom of the wound.

"Tsunade, what-" Shizune stopped just inside the doorway, staring at Iruka.

"Come here and help me with this," Tsunade ordered.

Quickly, Shizune stepped to her side and, filling her hands with chakra, replaced Tsunade's with her own. Removing her hands from Iruka's skin, Tsunade reached down into the wound, tracing the marks with her finger. She reworked the seal in silence, undoing it symbol by symbol. When the marks had been erased, Tsunade stood up straight for a moment, cracking her back. The procedure had taken several hours and her muscles were tight, joints creaking with every movement she made.

"Close him up," Tsunade said as she took a seat in a chair next to the wall.

Shizune did as she was told while Shikamaru silently stood next to his Hokage, watching.

"Kakashi-sensei is waiting for you," Shikamaru murmured while Shizune worked.

"Did you see him?" Tsunade asked.

"No. He'd talked to Shizune and she told me."

"Fuck. Where is he?"

"In the lobby."

Tsunade glanced at her assistant when she turned around to face her.

"Put Iruka in ICU, a private room. Keep his door closed at all times. Shikamaru, stand guard. Don't let anyone, but me or Shizune in there, not even another medic," the Hokage said.

"What about Kakashi?" Shizune asked, frowning. "He's Iruka's-"

"Not until I say so," Tsunade replied, her voice harsh.

Both Shizune and Shikamaru nodded as Tsunade left the room. She walked as fast as she could, jogging down the steps. Everyone she passed bowed their head to her, but she paid them no attention. Her mind was frozen in a block of ice, determined to do just what Iruka had asked of her.

Kakashi was waiting in the lobby, just as Shikamaru had said he would be. As the Hokage approached, he looked up from the book he was reading, a cold, almost dead look in his eyes. Tsunade steeled herself against the though of having to hide information as important as she had from the one man who really needed to hear it.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Himura's soldiers attacked from the west. They managed to break it down with some sort of fire-based attack, though I'm not sure what it was exactly. The Genin and I held them off. We even took some prisoners," the Jounin said.

"Was anyone hurt or killed?" Tsunade asked.

"Surprisingly, no, or at least not killed," Kakashi said. "A few of the younger ones got cuts and bruises, nothing too serious. I sent them here to get patched up."

"Good. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm going to get my ninken to patrol on the walls. They'll spot any more invaders before we can."

"Good idea. Go home and rest. I'll call everyone in if necessary. Now, if there's nothing else, I'll be going. There are some wounded that I need to attend to."

Kakashi turned away silently, heading for the door. Tsunade nearly collapsed where she stood, staggering back. The cold wind that had surrounded Kakashi for the past six years had always bothered her, but never before had she felt it so strong. Perhaps it had been a mistake to tell him about Himura's arrival, but then, it would have been just as large of one to hide it from him.

Tsunade didn't stop walking until she reached Iruka's room. Shikamaru was guarding outside, just as she'd instructed him to. They gave each other a glance before Tsunade opened the door and walked into the room. Iruka lay on a bed covered in white sheets, asleep. His hair had been let down from its tail, allowing it to rest easily on the pillow beneath his head. Pulling a chair up next to the bed, Tsunade sat down and watched as Iruka slept. She reached over and rested her hand on his chest, feeling it rise and fall steadily.

"You have to pull through this, Iruka. Losing you while you're here will kill us all," the Hokage said.

The sleeping Ookami didn't move or even stir, his tail lying still underneath the sheet.

The apartment was silent when Kakashi threw the door open, his clacking sandals making the only sound in it as he walked across the wood floor. He threw his weapons and shurikan pack onto the table in the kitchen not in annoyance, but rather indifference. Reaching down, he tried to rip off his sandals, although a bark distracted him.

Looking up, Kakashi frowned. Pakkun was sitting in the living room, a boy at his side. The boy was no older than five, his eyes as dark as his hair. He was playing with a shurikan, twirling it on his pointer finger for a few moments before flipping it into the air, watching as it spun upwards and then down again. Catching it easily on his pointer finger again, the boy smiled before starting the cycle again.

"Hey Boss," Pakkun said, greeting Kakashi.

"Who is this, Pakkun?" Kakashi asked as he motioned to the boy.

"My name is Shinobu," the boy replied.

Kakashi's frown grew deeper as he noticed a flicker of chakra in the boy's hair. It was clearly genjutsu and Kakashi easily recognized the chakra signature, though he couldn't remember who it belonged to. He reached for the boy's hair, but the child leapt back before he could get close.

"You cannot touch my hair," the boy cried.

"Why not?"

"Papa said so. He said that no one should touch it."

"Who is your father?"

"I can't tell you. He said that I shouldn't tell anyone."

"Why not?"

The boy fell quiet and Kakashi sighed, standing up. He walked over to the couch, flopping down on it.

"Where is your father?" the Jounin asked.

"Here, somewhere," Shinobu said.

"And why are you here?" Kakashi asked, directing this question more to Pakkun than the boy.

Shrugging, the dog said, "He just showed up at the compound. Apparently his father told him to come to us for protection. When the soldiers attacked the western wall, I brought him here, fearing for his safety."

"Why? They were weaklings," Kakashi muttered.

"Papa says that any man can be dangerous, even those who have no real power at all," Shinobu said.

"You mention your father a lot," Kakashi said. "What about your mother?"

"I don't have one," Shinobu murmured.

"Everyone has a mother."

"I don't."

Kakashi and Shinobu stared at each other for a while, Pakkun's gaze flicking back and forth between them. For some reason, the child unnerved Kakashi, a warm feeling that grew in his chest with each passing second. This child seemed kind, gentle, and fiercely loyal to his family. He was all of the things Kakashi wished he could have been when he was a child.

"What is your name?" Shinobu asked.

"Kakashi Hatake," the Jounin replied, holding out his hand to the boy.

Smiling, the boy shook it, strong recognition lighting his eyes with yellow fire. When their hands touched, Kakashi felt a shock of lightning run through him, making him shiver. He smiled slightly.

"You're going to be a powerful one, aren't you?"

"Papa says I will be. He says that its in my blood."

"Who is your father?"

Shinobu smiled widely.

"I can't tell you that."

"Where the hell is Tsuka? Where the hell is my Sei no Hon?" Himura screamed, knocking down the chair he'd been sitting on.

"I don't know, Sir," one of his retainers murmured.

"Tsuka! Tsuka! Where the fuck are you, you little fucker?" the Lord screamed and whined.

"I think he's gone, Sir," another retainer replied. "No one has seen him since yesterday."

"Oh really? I didn't realize that," Himura sneered. "Now, where do you think he's gone, hm? Back to the Land of Snow? I think not. Oh no. He's gone to Konoha, that fucking bastard, and he took my Sei no Hon with him!"

"Sir, you need to calm yourself-"

"-You don't tell me what to do, you son of a bitch," Himura spat.

All three of the retainers lower their gaze to the floor, shaking slightly. They all knew what their master did when he got angry and none of them wanted a slap to the face and several kicks to the gut.

"Damn it!" the Lord continued, muttering to himself. "First, Fuyu reappears and kicks the fucking shit out of my best hunter. Then, that son of a bitch Tsuka disappears with my Sei no Hon. Someone's going to pay for this shit dearly."

The retainers all looked each other as their master paced before them. Silently, they all shared a prayer for not being the receivers of Himura's anger. Despite that, they knew that it would probably be their fate anyway.

Neji was leaving the hospital, a bandage covering a small cut on his right cheek. The nurses had been fusing over him for hours and he just wanted to go home to his lover. He'd sent Gaara ahead fairly soon after arriving at the hospital for a quick check up. The Kazekage had been reluctant to leave him, but had eventually caved in and did as he asked.

"Sugata," a voice called from the shadows.

Turning, Neji saw that Daiki was waiting for him.

The older Ookami was back in his half-human form, leaning against a wall.

"Haru," Neji said as he walked over.

"Are you heading home?" Daiki asked.

Neji nodded.

"May I walk with you?" the older Ookami asked.

"Fine," Neji replied. "I'm living with Gaara at the moment."

"How has that been going?" Daiki asked as they started walking.

"Um, good. Great, actually," the former Hyuuga whispered, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Have you had sex yet?"

"Why the hell do you care?" Neji hissed.

He backed away from Daiki slightly, a blush flashing across his face.

"Calm down, I'm going to berate you. Nature has no qualms with gays," Daiki chuckled. "I'm just asking because it's important."

Neji's blush grew and he looked away.

"We have," he finally admitted.

Daiki nodded, sighing softly.

"I was worried about that."

"Worried?"

The older Ookami gave Neji a glance, smiling. Confused, Neji stopped, grabbing Daiki's arm.

"What the hell is there to be worried about? I'm not a woman!"

"No, but you're an Ookami. Do you remember how I mentioned that Fuyu has a son, Arashi?"

"Yeah."

"Arashi doesn't have a mother."

"What? That doesn't make sense."

"Well, he doesn't have a female mother, let's just say that. The Ookami have been dying in vast numbers for years and that need for survival caused us to evolve."

"You're blathering."

"I'm explaining. Now be quiet and let me speak."

Neji shut his mouth, but the annoyance was apparent on his face.

**Preview: Neji and Gaara discuss what Daiki told him. Kakashi receives a summons from Tsunade.**


	19. Chapter 18

**Summary: Neji and Gaara discuss what Daiki told him. Kakashi receives a summons from Tsunade.**

Chapter 18

The moment that Neji stepped into the apartment, Gaara could tell something was wrong. His eyes were turned down and his feet dragged. Although the grace of anyone trained in Gentle Fist was still there, he moved slowly as he turned to shut the door.

"Are you alright, Neji?" Gaara asked as he stood up.

Neji stayed by the door, leaning against it. His hands were flat against the wood and his forehead rested against it. Walking over, Gaara wrapped his arms around Neji's waist, his hands rubbing Neji's hip bones.

"Are you alright?" Gaara repeated.

"I saw Daiki on my way home," Neji replied quietly.

"I thought that you liked the old man," Gaara said, frowning.

"I do. He's a good man, but what he told me was-"

He stropped, trying to think of the correct word to use.

"Was it bad?" Gaara asked.

"Not completely no, but maybe now," Neji said quietly, raising his forehead to tap it against the wood of the door.

"Come on, Neji. What is it?" Gaara asked as he nibbled at the lobe of Neji's ear.

"Is Kankuro here?" Neji asked.

"No. He's off chasing Kiba. Why?"

Spinning around, the former Hyuuga grabbed Gaara's shirt and pulled him close, drawing him into a passionate kiss. Gaara smiled against Neji's mouth and he pushed his tongue through his lover's lips. Neji groaned as Gaara's tongue rolled over his, but he suddenly pulled back, mouthing something to himself. Frowning, Gaara rested his forehead against Neji's, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Daiki said that Ookami are not like most creatures," Neji murmured.

Gaara laughed. "That's obvious."

"He said that we used to be like all the others, but that we've evolved because people have been hunting our kind down for a long time," Neji continued.

Blinking, Gaara frowned again, confused.

"Nature bestowed on us an extra power, one beyond whatever dominion we serve. He said that it is essential to keeping our species alive," the former Hyuuga murmured.

"Now I'm confused," Gaara said.

"Male Ookami can get pregnant, Gaara," Neji hissed. "We don't have the parts, but it is more than possible. Our power carries the child for us and we do give natural birth."

Neji watched as the look on Gaara's face fell into absolute shock. Dropping his gaze to the ground in shame, Neji fell away from his lover, leaning back against the door. He slid down it until he was squatting and rested his hands on his knees. Slowly, he lowered his chin to the back of his hands, his gaze stuck to the floor boards that separated his feet from Gaara's. He closed his eyes to hide the tears that were forming.

"Are you-" Gaara asked as he knelt down.

"-No, it didn't take. Haru said that he of all people would know if it did. He's spring itself, after all," Neji said.

He keep his eyes squeezed shut as Gaara's hand ran through his hair, massaging his scalp with the pads of his fingers. Neji felt the rough hand trace down the side of his face, caressing his cheek. Raising his own hand, Neji laid it atop his lover's, rubbing his fingers along Gaara's knuckles.

"You don't need to pity me. I can leave if you want me to," the former Hyuuga murmured.

"Oh love," Gaara whispered as he gently kissed Neji's forehead. "You're not going anywhere."

At that, Neji opened his eyes, frowning. Gaara smiled at him and landed a strong kiss on the former Hyuuga's lips before kissing his forehead again.

"I'd love for you to have my children some day. Thinking about having sons and daughters with straight, dark hair makes me so unbelievably happy that my heart hurts," the Kazekage said, leaning forward to nip at Neji's jaw.

"But what if they're redheads?" Neji asked sarcastically.

He laughed a little when Gaara kissed the hollow of his neck.

"Then so it shall be. Any child born of you would make me more than ecstatic," the Kazekage hummed against his lover's throat.

Neji relaxed as the vibrations from Gaara's words coursed through him, making a shiver run down his spine. He moaned when Gaara moved the collar of his shirt out of the way and kissed his collarbone. Slipping down to the ground, Neji spread his knees so Gaara could sit between them, grinding his hips against his lover's.

"Gaara, stop," Neji groaned as he let his head drop back.

"Shh, love. Let me wipe away your fears and doubts," Gaara said, licking at the underside of Neji's jaw.

"But, Gaara-"

"-Don't worry," Gaara laughed. "It seems Kiba wanted to wait before going without protection. He probably wants my brother to get tested or something. Kankuro left them behind."

Neji laughed at that.

"I have a feeling he's trying to get what he wants," the former Hyuuga said, smiling.

Cupping Neji's face with his hands, Gaara met his dark gaze. He seemed content, brushing his thumb along his boyfriend's cheek.

"There we are," he said before they leaned into each other for a soft kiss. "Your smiles are the best."

Laughing again, Neji pulled Gaara to him, bringing their hips together. Gaara glanced down for a moment then flicked his eyes back up to Neji's, smiling. He reached down and stroked Neji's manhood through his pants.

"So, how about some nice, clean sex?" he proposed as he grabbed Neji and pulled him up into his arms, one wrapping around the former Hyuuga's back. "I promise that I won't knock you up."

"Sounds good," Neji replied. "I love you, Gaara."

He ground against the hand that was massaging him through his pants, groaning.

"I'll love you for all of eternity, Neji."

The next few days passed without word from Himura Utake or his army. Kakashi wasn't worried at all, as most of the ninja and civilians were. He was more than willing to wait as long as he got the destroy the bastard himself.

Night had fallen and Kakashi was sitting in the living room, lost in his own thoughts again. Shinobu was asleep in the next room, curling up with Pakkun. The Jounin found the young boy to be great company. In the past three days, he'd had no need for the Realm of Awakened Unconsciousness. The boy's energetic nature kept Kakashi's mind away from the painful memories of the past six years and forced him back into the present. He smiled whenever he thought of the young boy.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the window behind him. Turning, Kakashi saw a small slug sitting on the windowsill, waiting.

Opening the window, Kakashi asked, "Does Tsunade need me?"

"Yes. She says that you need to come to the hospital immediately," the slug replied.

"The hospital? Why?" Kakashi asked

"That's what she said. She didn't tell me why," the slug said, a ripple moving down its body as some form of a shrug.

"Alright, I'll be right there," the Jounin sighed.

As the slug disappeared in a puff of smoke, Kakashi walked to the bedroom. Silently opening the door, he slid over to the bed and poked Pakkun in the shoulder. The dog stirred and opened its eyes, growling at him in annoyance.

"I have to go meet with Tsunade. I'll be back before long," Kakashi told him.

Grumbling something under his breath, Pakkun nodded and fell back to sleep. Kakashi's gaze drifted over to the sleeping boy next to the dog. Shinobu stirred slightly in his sleep when Kakashi ran his fingers lightly over the boy's hair. He eyed the genjutsu that glimmered in the dark locks, but he left it alone, drawing his hand away. He quickly left the room, closing the door silently behind him.

The streets were silent as he leapt from building to building. He savored the quiet night air, taking deep breaths whenever either of his feet touched a rooftop. The thought of being able to capture Himura Utake had put his heart at rest for a while, adding to the calming effects that the young Shinobu had brought with him.

It took him only a few minutes to reach the hospital. Inside, it was as quiet as the streets, abandoned by all except the medics who worked the late shift and the patients. Tsunade was standing by the main staircase, waiting. Her hair was still back in its twin tails, thought they were rather messy. Loose strands of blond hair hung around her face like many strings from the edge of a ripped piece of cloth.

"Why did you want to meet me here?" Kakashi asked as he walked over to her.

"One of our patients wants to see you," the Hokage said as she turned, leading Kakashi up the stairs. "He says that he has something important to tell you."

"Did he tell you why?" Kakashi wondered.

"No," Tsunade replied, shaking her head. "He just said that it was important. Don't worry. The man is too wounded to try and attack you. I think he honestly believes that whatever he has to tell you is more important than life."

She led him up to the third floor and Kakashi's eyebrows knit when he recognized the hall they were in. Only the sickest or most wounded of men slept there and even Kakashi himself had been there several times after missions didn't go according to plan.

"Why are we in the ICU?" Kakashi asked as Tsunade led him down the hall.

"Like I said, this man is too wounded to try and attack you. He can't even sit up straight yet, let alone stand," the Hokage said.

They stopped at the last door on the right. Shikamaru stood outside, looking as bored as ever until he saw Kakashi. A flicker of happiness illuminated in his eyes as he glanced over at Tsunade. She nodded and the ninja quickly stood up straight. He looked back at Kakashi for a second before he quickly left, a small skip in his step. Kakashi watched him leave with narrowed eyes, suspicious. Tsunade clapped him on the shoulder before she too turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi called after her.

"I have no right to sit in on this conversation," she shouted back. "Besides, I have other things to do."

Frowning, Kakashi looked at the closed door before him. A nervous spasm filled his stomach, but he fought it down. Relaxing the muscles in his face, Kakashi put on his typical easy-going expression and reached out for the doorknob, turning it slowly.

**And I'm gonna be an ass and end it there. The lovely, teary reunion will be next so look out for that. There's gonna be a lot of crying in the next chapter so be prepared. There will be some revelations as well, in keep with my usual writing style.**

**Preview: Kakashi and Iruka finally reunite after six long years. **


	20. Chapter 19

**Summary: Kakashi and Iruka finally meet again after six long years.**

Chapter 19

Slowly, he turned doorknob until the satisfying _click_ came. As the pulled the door open, the hinges creaked slightly from years of use. Kakashi stepped into the room, keeping his eyes on the door as he started to close it. He kept the knob turned until the door was resting in its place against the frame. Then, he slowly turned the knob back, letting the lock slide into its notch in the wall.

Kakashi turned around to face the man in the bed behind him and his world came crashing down around him. He froze, his hand still resting on the doorknob. Silence filled his ears and time seemed to stop. Even his heart stilled as brown eyes looked up to meet his.

His body moved without his knowing as he walked to the bed and sat down on the edge. Their gaze never left each other's as Kakashi reached out, his hand resting on the patient's cheek. He caressed the long scar that slashed the man's nose with his thumb, relief flooding his body when the patient smiled and closed his eyes. Kakashi felt a rough, callused hand trace along the side of his face, lifting the hitai-ate away from his scarred eye, but he paid it no attention. They sat there for a while just feeling each other's faced. Neither of them said anything as the reality of the moment started to sink in.

Leaning forward, Kakashi rested his forehead on the man's shoulder, taking a deep breath. He smelled just as the Jounin remembered him: musky, masculine. He slowly wrapped his arms around the man's back, hugging him close. A tear slid down Kakashi's face as he started to sob. Before long, both men were crying tears of both sadness and joy. The past six years had been a living hell for them and, now that they were reunited, every emotion, fear, and pain washed out of them as a flood of tears.

Kakashi started pecking at Iruka's neck, leaving behind a long and complicated path of kisses. Steadily, he worked his way around to Iruka's throat and then to the other side of his neck. He wanted to taste every inch of skin that he could. Moving up to Iruka's face, he kissed his lips softly, chastely. However, the suddenly feeling of Iruka's lips against his own after six long years of waiting broke any shred of control that Kakashi had. He bit at his lover's lower lip and slipped his tongue into his mouth when the lips parted in a slight gasp. He traced every contour and line of Iruka's mouth, shifting his body so his legs were pulled up onto the bed. Iruka threw his arms around the back of Kakashi's neck, pulling him in closer.

"Iru," Kakashi murmured as he pulled away for a moment.

The former teacher smiled at him again, holding his lover's face close to his with his arms.

"I'm back, Kashi," Iruka said.

"Welcome home," the Jounin replied before they broke into another fierce kiss.

Iruka slowly moved himself to the right, giving Kakashi room to lay down next to him. When Kakashi was settled, Iruka shifted his weight to his left, steadily rolling himself onto his side. He winced slightly when a twinge of pain coursed through his right side and his old wound. Seeing this, Kakashi reached out and carefully helped his lover roll onto his side before enveloping the smaller ninja in his arms. Resting his head against the pillow, Iruka gazed at Kakashi in silence, happiness making his heart beat fast and hard. He closed his eyes for a moment, drinking in the feeling as Kakashi started to kiss him again.

Kakashi wasn't sure how they long lay there, but he really didn't care. Iruka was finally home and in his arms, where he belonged. That was all the mattered.

"Kashi?" Iruka said after quite a while.

"Yeah?" Kakashi murmured in reply.

"There's something I need to tell you," the former ninja whispered.

Frowning, Kakashi waited for his lover to speak.

"Don't worry. I haven't fallen in love with someone else or anything like that. It's quite the opposite actually," Iruka laughed when he noticed the look on Kakashi's face. "It's something wonderful."

"Okay," Kakashi said slowly.

"Have you ever heard of something called the Ookami?" Iruka asked.

"Yeah. Neji-kun is one of them," the Jounin said.

Iruka nodded and smiled. "Neji is actually my cousin. His mother was my father's much younger sister. They had a falling out several years before I was born so Neji and I weren't raised as cousins. I wasn't even aware of it until a few years ago."

"Then, that makes you an Ookami?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes. I'm Fuyu, the Ookami of winter," Iruka replied.

"Alright," the Jounin said.

Iruka was bit surprised at how well Kakashi was taking this new information.

"And this doesn't bother you?" the former teacher asked.

Kakashi shook his head as well as he could with his head on a pillow.

"Not at all. Should it?"

"Well-" Iruka started.

He twitched a little, nervousness growing inside him. Taking a shaky breath, he steadied his heart and decided that it was either now or never.

"-Do you remember the last time we slept together?"

"Of course. It was wonderful."

"Well, that time something… strange happened. It seems that Ookami males are different and, well, I, in a nut shell, became pregnant."

Kakashi didn't react at first so Iruka continued.

"I went on the mission to the Land of Snow not knowing about it. A few weeks after Himura had captured me, I started to get sick. You see, Himura likes to play with his captives. He'll keep one Ookami locked up for years until he finds another one and then has them fight it out in an arena with all sorts of rich people watching. It's really sick. He was busy trying to find another Ookami when it was discovered that I was pregnant," Iruka said softly.

He stopped and took a deep breath to steady himself.

"I stayed there for most of my pregnancy. It would seem that the thought of getting to raise a newborn Ookami as his pet excited Himura to no end. He kept me locked up, but I was well taken care of. The entire time though, I wanted to get out of there. I refused to have my child –our child- be treated as some man's plaything. But, no matter how many times I tried, I couldn't escape. All of my chakra was focused on keeping our child healthy and alive, leaving nothing for me to use to escape or defend myself. They limited my Ookami powers by keeping a collar on me that was designed to prevent me from using them."

Kakashi was silent as he listened.

"Then, about a week or so before my due date, one of my doctors came to visit me in my prison. He'd always been kind to me, even before they'd learned about the baby. Apparently, he was one of Himura's closest advisors or something. Either way, he helped me escape. He took off my collar and told me the easiest path to take. I trusted him and followed his instructions. However, on the way, I was seen and one of the guards attacked me. For the first time in my life, my Ookami instincts kicked in and I unleashed a snowstorm on him, engulfing every guard on the entire floor. As far as I know, they all froze to death. I'd never transformed before, I'd never used my powers before, and, to add to it all, I was eight and a half months pregnant. My desire to protect the child made me lose control."

Quietly, Iruka started to cry again, tears trailing down his face. Kakashi wiped them away, his touch giving Iruka the strength to continue.

"I had decimated the entire fortress by the time I got out of there. I don't know how many men I killed, but when I do know is that it took the following five years for Himura to rebuild his army."

"But, I went there with Tsunade myself," Kakashi protested. "He had more men guarding the walls than I've ever seen in my life."

"All bravado," Iruka sighed.

"No shit. Wait. You left for your mission in late spring. If you escaped after eight months, then wouldn't it have been winter?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes and that's part of why I survived. I'm the Ookami of winter. It's snows and cold have no effect on me. In fact, it enhances my strength, allowing me to travel further without needing to rest, even with the condition that I was in. After I escaped the fortress, I walked for miles and miles, just trying to get as far away as I could. There was a blizzard that night and it covered any tracks that I left. None of Himura's hunters ever found me while I was there."

"I had no idea that you were still in the Land of Snow," Kakashi murmured. "I should have looked harder, I should have-"

"-Shush," Iruka said. "Let me finish."

Kakashi settled into the pillow, falling silent.

"After a few days of traveling, I felt a huge pain in my abdomen and I was forced to stop sooner than I'd hoped. I managed to find a clearing in the forest and rested against one of the trees. The pain seemed practically endless and I was far from ready for what was coming. Thankfully though, the same kind doctor that had helped me escape had taught me a few things about birth."

"You were in labor?" Kakashi asked, his eyes widening.

Iruka smiled and nodded. "I laid there for nearly three hours before I realized that something was wrong. Pregnant male Ookami's bodies change during the pregnancy, allowing us to give natural birth. A few weeks after we give birth, our bodies change back. I don't know what exactly went wrong, but I knew that something was off so I gave myself a C-section."

"You what?"

"I cut myself open and pulled our son out by myself. I had no medication or anything. Thankfully, I was able to draw some power from the snow around me. Without it, I would have probably died. The problem was closing the wound back up. I was too tired to do it manually and the trauma my body had already gone through drained any strength I had left."

"Then how-"

"-I'm getting there. I was sure that I was going to die. Spots were filling my vision and everything was turning dark. A wolf came suddenly appeared and gave me the chakra I needed to close the incision. Of course, I'm not a trained medic so I had to seal the cut closed instead of actually healing it," Iruka continued.

"A seal?" Kakashi asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Yeah. It's a special kind of seal that Naruto taught me during the Fourth Great War. It's used my non-medic ninja to hold grievous wounds closed so they don't bleed out before a real medic arrives," Iruka explained. "The only problem with it is that it is designed to be temporary, a month at the longest. I knew that there was no one nearby to help me and, even after I'd recovered my strength a few days later, I didn't dare to go in search of help. They would turn me over to Himura in a second if they knew what had happened. So, I stayed in that forest for five years, regaining enough chakra to travel back home. The seal unfortunately also slows down the chakra regeneration process and I didn't want to put myself or our child in danger by not having enough chakra to make the journey."

Slowly, Iruka reached down and pulled up the hem of his shirt, revealing the large bandage that was wrapped around his abdomen. Kakashi could just see the long red scar forming underneath. Leaning down, Kakashi kissed the bandages just over the old wound, resting his forehead on Iruka's side.

"And what about the child?" he asked.

"He was born completely healthy," Iruka said, smiling.

"Where is he now?"

"With your ninken. I knew that they would recognize who he was and protect him from anything and everything."

Kakashi's eyes widened again and he looked up at Iruka.

"Shinobu?"

Iruka nodded, another tear falling.

"I put an illusion on his hair to hide its real color as soon as I reached the Land of Fire a few days ago. It's white, like yours, and I knew that it would be too easily recognizable. I didn't want anyone finding out before I had a chance to tell you first," Iruka sobbed. "He's a Hatake, through and through. His Ookami power is even lightning based."

Sitting up, Kakashi kissed away Iruka's tears as soon as they fell. His heart was hurting from so many different emotions filling him all at the same time: sadness, happiness, shock, and anger, the last of which was directed at Himura Utake. Kakashi held his lover close as Iruka cried. As he started to quiet down, Kakashi smiled down at him and kissed him softly.

"You've done a wonderful job with him," Kakashi whispered in Iruka's ear. "He's a great kid."

"Thanks, although I attribute half of it to your good DNA," Iruka laughed.

"My DNA has nothing to do with it," the Jounin replied as they kissed again.

"Don't count yourself out complete, is all I'm saying," Iruka said, smiling. "Are you okay with all of this? I know it's a lot."

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm more than proud to have Shinobu as my son. It may take some getting used to, being a parent, but with a son as great as ours is, I don't think it'll be a problem at all" Kakashi said.

Iruka smiled and kissed Kakashi roughly.

"Now, I think we need to spend some quality time together," Kakashi murmured.

"Kashi, Tsunade said no sex yet," Iruka laughed.

"I meant as a family, gutter brain," Kakashi teased as he summoned Pakkun.

The pug appeared in a puff of smoke, surprised to see the lovers together. After taking one look at Kakashi and Iruka, Pakkun sighed a dog sign and nodded before disappearing again. He came back in a few minutes through the door this time, Shinobu at his heels. Iruka had settled onto his back with Kakashi spooning him from the side.

"Papa!" the young boy shouted as soon as he saw Iruka.

Leaping up onto the bed and over Kakashi, Shinobu snuggled between them, hugging Iruka's neck fiercely. Iruka laughed and hugged him back, kissing the boy on the temple. Kakashi met Iruka's eyes for a second before he reached over and laid his hand on Shinobu's hair, undoing the spell that kept it painted black. Slowly, the black color dripped out of the boy's hair like ink, disappearing as Shinobu's natural white color took over. Realizing what was happening, Shinobu turned to look back at Kakashi.

"I'm sorry for jumping over you, Kakashi-san," the boy said.

"That's alright Shinobu," the Jounin laughed. "And you don't have to call me Kakashi-san."

The boy frowned, confused as he glanced over at Iruka.

"You don't," Iruka agreed.

"Why not?" Shinobu asked.

"That's because Kakashi is your Chichi," Iruka said, smiling.

It took a moment for the thought to register in the young boy's mind. Suddenly, his gaze whipped back to Kakashi, a smile spreading across his face.

"So, you're Chichi?" Shinobu asked.

When Kakashi nodded, the boy gave a cry of joy and leapt on his other father, tackling him onto his back. Kakashi laughed heartily as Shinobu looked down at him with a overjoyed look on his face.

"Hi, Chichi. I'm Shinobu," the young boy said, holding out his hand to Kakashi.

As Kakashi shook it, he pulled Shinobu tightly into him and kissed his forehead where Iruka had.

"I know, Musuko (1)," Kakashi whispered as he reached out for Iruka's hand.

They grasped each other tightly as Kakashi turned back onto his side, Shinobu still clutching his neck. The young boy settled on the bed between his fathers as content as he'd ever been before in his short life.

**And there you have it: a super sappy, but adorable family reunion. They got their own chapter for it too.**

**Musuko means 'son'. **

**Preview: In the lull in the fighting, Iruka is released from the hospital and has a lot of explaining to do. Shinobu gets to meet Naruto for the first time. After seeing Iruka and Kakashi with Shinobu, Neji wonders how he would be as a father.**


	21. Chapter 20

**Summary: Shinobu gets to meet Naruto for the first time. Neji wonders how he would be as a father.**

Chapter 20

A few more days passed before Tsunade allowed anyone other than Kakashi and Shinobu to visit the wounded former teacher. She said that they had to let the wound, which had been basically unable to either heal or become infected for five years, close completely so as to give Iruka more time to rest. His body had, after all, been under constant stress from years. Kakashi selfishly wanted to keep Iruka to himself for a while longer, but he knew that there were certain other people who needed to know that Iruka had returned. Not even the Council had been alerted of his presence. Tsunade had decided, with both Iruka and Kakashi's whole hearted consent, to keep him a secret from everyone.

Kakashi spent most of the time of those three days with Iruka at his bedside, either filling him in on what he missed or playing games with Shinobu. The Jounin was surprised to find how mature the small boy was for someone who'd been raised entirely in the wild. He enjoyed riddles and puzzles just as much as the physical games like tag and, when they did play tag and Shinobu fell, he got back up without tears or whines of pain. All he would do is smile and carry on.

When he and Shinobu weren't with Iruka, they were at the Hatake Family compound. After having a long talk, the couple had decided to move back into Kakashi's family home, something that Shinobu was more than thrilled about. The young boy had found their old apartment cramped and dark, something that, for a boy who'd spent all five years of his life living in a wild forest, was completely foreign.

Secretly, his fathers were also thrilled, especially after Tsunade told them that it was possible for them to have more children. It seemed that the six years apart had given both of the men the desire to settle down. After meeting Shinobu, this feeling only grew fiercer in Kakashi and, for the first time in his life, he wanted to carry on his Clan's heritage and name.

On the morning of Iruka's sixth day in Konoha, Tsunade gave them the okay for visitors. Turning to look at his lover, Iruka had asked for only one person and, when he heard the name, Kakashi completely understood. He took off as fast as he could in search of the boy, now a young man, that Iruka had asked for.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called as he stepped into Ichiraku Ramen.

The blond ninja looked up from his bowl of ramen and smiled as he slurped a noodle. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Naruto waved Kakashi over.

"Hi yah, Kakashi-sensei," the ninja said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

"Are you done? I have a favor to ask of you," Kakashi said.

"Oh, yeah. Just a second."

Naruto ate a few more bites before he paid Ichiraku for his fare. The two ninja left the restaurant and headed into the street, dodging easily around people. Kakashi led them in silence, smiling slightly under his mask. Naruto kept sneaking curious looks at him as they walked.

"So, what is this favor?" Naruto finally asked when they were a block from the hospital.

"You'll see," Kakashi said, a mischievous tone taking over his face.

A bit taken aback, Naruto slowly smiled. He was happy to see his former teacher reverting back to his old self after six years of unhappiness. Naruto wondered what had caused the sudden change, but he decided to take the one piece of advise that he'd heard more than any other: leave it alone. A twinge of sadness fit his heart as he thought of Iruka, but the young Chuunin pushed it aside.

When they reached the third floor, the ICU floor, Shikamaru was standing by the door at the far end of the hall. Tsunade had refused to move Iruka from his isolated room for fear of alerting the Council of his presence and Kakashi was more than happy to agree. They couldn't afford to have anyone, whether they were a ninja, a medic, or a nurse, walking into Iruka's room to find him and Shinobu there. It was hard enough keeping Shinobu inside the hospital, let alone his father's room.

"Wait here for a second," Kakashi instructed when they reached the doorway.

He opened the door and slipped inside the room, closing the door most of the way. Naruto strained his ears to hear the faint whispering that came from inside, but he couldn't make sense of the incoherent mumblings. He and Shikamaru exchanged a glance and the eternally bored ninja refused to give away any clues.

Suddenly, Kakashi's head poked out through the door.

"Come on in."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto threw the door open as Kakashi wove around to the other side of the hospital bed. Iruka turned to look at his former student, smiling softly when he saw the young ninja's shocked blue eyes. The door closed behind Naruto, having been pulled shut by Shikamaru.

"Wait, you're-"

"-Here? Yes. I arrived a few days ago," Iruka said, cutting his student off.

Hearing the shifting of fabric, Naruto looked down to see the tip of Iruka's dark tail peak out from under the sheets. He took in the strange sight before he noticed the fur-tipped ears, and clawed fingers. His mouth dropped open to form a long oval shape.

"Oh my god," Naruto murmured as his eyes tried to grow wider. "You're Fuyu! I saw you fight that hunter! You-"

"-Decimated him? Again, yes. And then he managed to land one bad blow on me," Iruka laughed.

He held out his arms to Naruto.

"I believe that I deserve something for that display."

Naruto chuckled as he ran over to his father figure, hugging his tightly. Iruka's smile widened to an ecstatic grin as he rocked his body from side to side like a mother comforting her child.

"Why didn't you tell me that it was you?" Naruto cried into Iruka's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, but there were things I had to take care of first before I could say anything to you,' Iruka said as he pulled back from his former student. "Be rest assured through. You're one of the first people in all Konoha to know that I'm here."

"I'm just so happy that you're back," Naruto said.

He wiped away the tears from his face, sniffling.

"I knew that I had to come back sometime. Without me, you and Kakashi both would fall into a pile of rubble," Iruka teased.

"He basically did," Naruto replied, earning him a narrowed glance from Kakashi.

"I'm back for good now. While I do hope to get my ninja status back, I probably won't be taking too many mission," Iruka said.

He ruffled Naruto's hair before tapping the hitai-ate that rested on his forehead.

"I'll have other important things to take care of here," the former teacher continued.

"Like teaching at the Academy?" Naruto asked.

"That and a few other things."

Kneeling down, Kakashi lifted the edge of the sheet to find Shinobu hiding under the bed. As his son's dark eyes turned to him, Kakashi motioned for him to come out from his hiding place. The boy darted out from the bed and into his father's arms.

"Who is this kid?" Naruto asked as Kakashi set Shinobu down on the bed beside Iruka.

"I'm Shinobu," the child said, his long white bangs flopping in his eyes.

"What were you doing under the bed?" the blond ninja asked.

Iruka smiled when he noticed that his former student hadn't quite figured out their secret yet.

"It's because Papa and Chichi told me to," Shinobu replied.

Naruto's wide eyes flicked from Iruka to Kakashi and back down to the child in front of him.

"Is this for real?" he asked his former teachers.

"Yes it is," Iruka said. "The ability for males to get pregnant is a special… gift, I guess you could say, that the Ookami have. When I left six years ago, I was, unknown to both of us, already just that."

Shinobu walked across the bed to face Naruto. Standing on the mattress, the young child was as tall as Naruto's chin and they looked at each other curiously.

"You're Naruto-nii-san?" Shinobu asked.

"Um, I guess so," the ninja said slowly. "If you really want to call me that."

"That's who Papa says you are and Papa never lies," the child giggled, smiling.

Reaching out, Naruto ruffled Shinobu's hair, a grin spreading across his face.

"I like you, brat," the blond said. "Have you ever had ramen before?"

The boy frowned and shook his head.

"No."

Both Kakashi and Iruka groaned inwardly as Naruto's smile grew even bigger and brighter.

"Well then, you will need to try it. It is the best food in the entire world. Do you mind if I take him to Ichiraku?"

"Weren't you just there?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, but it seems that someone isn't exposing their son to everything he needs to be exposed to. As his brother, I feel that it is my duty to… expand his horizons, if you will," Naruto replied.

"Please, Papa. Please, Chichi."

"Fine," Iruka said, giving in.

He motioned for Shinobu to come sit by him for a moment, which the young boy did. Forming a series of seals with his hands, Iruka placed the illusion into his son's hair, turning it from white to black again. The young boy giggled a little as he watched the dark color seep into his locks like ink on paper.

"Only one small bowl, though. We don't want him turning into you."

"Whatever," Naruto replied as he helped Shinobu hop down from the bed.

"Oh and Naruto, no one is allowed to know who Shinobu is," Iruka said.

His voice was stern and serious as he spoke. Naruto nodded.

"Don't worry. I'll tell anyone who asks the truth, but only part of the truth: he's the son of a friend of mine and I'm watching him for the afternoon," the blond ninja laughed before leading Shinobu out into the hall.

When the door closed behind them, Iruka sighed softly and leaned back against his pillow. Kakashi came over to him and sat down beside him, pulling his lover into a tight embrace.

"I'm so glad that's over," the former teacher groaned.

"Why? Were you worried?" Kakashi asked.

"A little," Iruka admitted. "I'm just happy that Naruto is taking his role as Shinobu's brother seriously."

"Naruto will do anything to make you happy," Kakashi laughed. "Besides, Shinobu is a great kid. They'll get along well."

Iruka snuggled into Kakashi's side, sighing again.

"The Council is going to figure it out soon," the former teacher murmured.

"Don't think about that right now. We'll deal with them after you're better," the Jounin beside him said, kissing his lover on the temple. "I don't think they'll be a problem though. If you put them up against a puppy face as cute as the one our son has, their stone hearts will disintegrate in seconds."

Slowly, Neji's eyes opened, revealing the white expanse that was the deactivated form of the Byakugan. He moaned softly against Gaara's neck. His head had been firmly planted under the Subaku's chin all night and his own neck was aching slightly. Twisting his head the other direction, Neji sighed when he heard the satisfying crack of the vertebra. He glanced back at his lover and, smiling, snuggled back into the curve of Gaara's sleeping body. The comforting arm that was flung over his waist tightened around Neji.

Neji stared at his lover's face, etching every line and pore into his memory. He never wanted to forget what Gaara looked like, not even if he became old or senile. When they'd first met, Neji had noticed the young Suna ninja's oddly beautiful appearance. Of course, it had taken him years to acknowledge it, but the firmly set mouth and dark, brooding eyes had grabbed his full attention. They haunted him for years, even after he'd admitted his love for Gaara to himself.

However, now, his eyes were closed and his chest rose and fell steadily in sleep. Sex with Neji was the only thing that lulled the insomniac into the almost forgotten world of sleep, a fact that Neji cherished.

'He would make a wonderful father,' Neji thought as Gaara shifted slightly.

He frowned at the thought, wondering where it had come from. He'd tried to keep any thoughts of children out of his head since he'd learned the truth from Daiki several days earlier. It scared him really. Neji had always been somewhat secluded, always concentrating on improving his technique and strength. He didn't think that his personality was right for being a parent.

Sighing, Neji lifted Gaara's hand from his waist and kissed his palm, breathing into the Kazekage's scent. He nipped softly at Gaara's wrist before flipping the hand over to kiss each knuckle lightly. Stirring beside him, Gaara opened his eyes and smiled as he watched his lover.

"Someone is feeling affectionate this morning," Gaara laughed as Neji released his hand.

He set it back on Neji's waist.

"I was just thinking," Neji replied.

"About what Daiki told you?" Gaara asked.

"How did you know?" the former Hyuuga gasped.

"Whenever you think about it, you get this strange look on your face, almost like you're terrified," Gaara sighed.

"It's because I am."

"Why? I promised that I wouldn't-"

"-It doesn't have anything to do with you. It has to do entirely with me."

Rolling onto his side, Neji lay his forehead against Gaara's, their noses touching. Gaara's arm snaked further along his body, pulling him in close. His hand finally stopped at Neji's ass, lying still.

"I don't think I'd be a good parent," Neji said slowly. "I'm blunt, proud, and cold. What kind of kid would I raise?"

"A good kid, I'm sure," Gaara replied.

"I tried to kill my cousin, once," Neji reminded him.

"Which you feel very sorry for now," Gaara said. "I tried to kill Naruto who later became my best friend."

"Ah yeah, that's right. I have a feeling that our child would become a homicidal maniac," Neji laughed.

"Then a homicidal maniac, he or she shall be. We'll just have to put him or her in ANBU before things got out of hand," the Kazekage joked.

Neji suddenly frowned, a realization hitting him.

"What's wrong, love?"

"I just realized that we're from different villages."

"And?"

"You'll go back to Suna eventually."

"And you'll be coming with me."

"What?"

Gaara smiled at him.

"If you want to, of course. I've already filled out the transfer paperwork. I just need you to sign it and have Tsunade's approval," the Kazekage said.

"You already went ahead with it?" Neji asked.

"I just wanted to be prepared. If you don't want to move to Suna, I can just get rid of the papers. I haven't filed them or anything yet," Gaara explained.

Laughing, Neji kissed Gaara's cheek.

"Thanks for thinking about what I want," he said, smiling.

"So, what do you want to do about it?" Gaara asked.

"We'll file it today. I'd rather stay with you," the former Hyuuga said. "I've been kicked out of both my home and my clan. What is there for me to lose?"

"You'll have to give up your loyalty to Konoha."

"Yes, but I don't have to cut my ties with the people here."

Gaara nuzzled against Neji's cheek, almost purring with delight at the thought of Neji moving with him to Suna. Images of all kinds filled his mind, flooding his body with shivers of happiness. He imagined them unpacking Neji's belongings and finding places for everything in Gaara's house. Then, they'd be in the kitchen, drinking tea. Neji would sit in his lap and snarl at his reflection in the mug of tear every now and then. They would set their drinks aside as he picked up his lover and carried him into the bedroom. Hot, passionate sex would follow and, perhaps a few months or a few years later, Neji's stomach would be round and full, carrying their child. Eventually, they would watch their child grow and mature into a wonderful and powerful ninja. On occasion, they would argue, but quickly make up. It would be absolute bliss for the once lonely demon host.

**I think that a sentimental Gaara is so adorable.**

**Preview: The Konohagakure Council calls a meeting. Himura plans his next move.**


	22. Chapter 21

**I think I owe a thank you to the band Snow Patrol for helping me out with this chapter. I had no idea what I was really going to do until I picked up their CD Fallen Empires at the library. I listened to 'New York' over and over again while writing this chapter. It's a great song, if you haven't heard it.**

**Summary: Iruka goes home and has a private conversation with Neji.**

Chapter 21

"It's about time," Kakashi said as he helped Iruka stand.

The former teacher wobbled slightly, but his lover held him steady. Wrapping an arm around Kakashi's back, Iruka straightened up, regaining his balance.

"Yeah. Waiting for something always gets worse when you know you're close to getting close to it," Iruka sighed.

"Well, I'm just happy that you're coming home at all," Kakashi laughed, kissing Iruka on the cheek.

"Home, but not the one I left," Iruka murmured.

"Are you regretting it?" Kakashi asked.

"No, not at all. It'll be nice to have a bigger place," Iruka said, reassuring his lover.

"And a lot of bedrooms to fill," Kakashi whispered in his ear.

"Kashi, control yourself. Just because Tsunade cleared us to have sex doesn't mean you can jump my bones at any chance you get. You have several hours to wait."

"Why did Naruto have to invite a ton of people over on the day that you were gonna be released," the Jounin whined. "He's completely messed up my fantasy."

"You gave him control of that. It's not his fault that he didn't know you wanted to do something else."

"I know, I know."

Turning to face his lover, Iruka kissed him lightly. Kakashi leaned into the kiss and licked at Iruka's lips, hoping for a break in the former teacher's iron will. Finding no such luck, Kakashi rolled his eyes and pulled away before kissing Iruka on the forehead. He pulled up his mask, which had been languishing around his neck, to cover the lower half of his face.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Iruka nodded as he walked out of the hospital room, his arm around Kakashi and Kakashi's around him. He limped slightly due to the tight feeling of the healing incision, but largely ignored it. Tsunade had only allowed him to start walking that morning and Iruka was just happy that he was able to leave the hospital by foot and not on Kakashi's back.

"Hi Papa. Hi Chichi," Shinobu giggled as ran up to his fathers.

His white hair was blinding under the florescent lighting. Kneeling down, Kakashi took Shinobu up onto his back, the young boy wrapping his arms around his father's neck.

"Did you say good-bye to Yamaki-san?" Iruka asked, referring to one of the nurses.

"Yes," Shinobu laughed.

"Good boy. Now, shall we?" Kakashi said as he straightened up, placing his arm back around Iruka's waist.

"Time to go home," his son said happily.

As soon as the family of three stepped onto the stairs, people turned to stare at them. Shock froze them in place as they saw Iruka. The few that managed to break the spell all glanced over at Kakashi with wide eyes. He just nodded a hello as if there nothing was unusual about it.

"Why are people staring at us?" Shinobu asked as they walked into the street.

"It's because your papa is so good-looking-"

"-Kashi!"

"Sorry, Iru," Kakashi laughed with not an ounce of regret in his voice.

"Baa-chan let you out!" Naruto cried as he ran up to them.

"She couldn't hold me there forever," Iruka said.

"No, she really would if she wanted to," Naruto said, shrugging. "Do you want me to take Shinobu?"

Kakashi glanced back at his son, who grinned widely before leaping down from his father's back. Dashing between Iruka and Kakashi, Shinobu ran to Naruto. He laughed when the ninja picked him up and set the small boy on his back.

"We'll see you at your place," Naruto called, running off.

"Bye Papa! Bye Chichi!" Shinobu laughed as Naruto leapt up onto a nearby roof, taking off at full speed.

Hearing Iruka sigh, Kakashi looked over at him.

"Why didn't you tell them to be careful or anything like that?" the Jounin asked.

Iruka shook his head.

"It would fall on deaf ears," he replied. "At least we can take our time getting home."

"Is your wound hurting?" Kakashi asked, concerned.

Laying his head on his lover's shoulder, Iruka shook his head again.

"It's just a little stiff is all. Thanks for worrying."

Kakashi nuzzled his nose in Iruka's hair, taking a deep breath. The teacher had decided to keep his hair down, strand of it whipping into Kakashi's face. Slowly, Iruka raised his head from Kakashi's shoulder and they started to walk again. Iruka's limp became much more obvious as they walked, but Kakashi knew better than to offer help. His lover still had a lot of pride and there was no way that the Jounin was going to break it.

People stared after them as the couple made their way home, but didn't do any more than that. Most of them knew who Kakashi was and they were keenly aware of the suffering the Jounin had endured without his beloved Iruka at his side. Even those who had never met the former teacher realized instantly who he was based solely on Kakashi's reformed attitude. Warmth filled the air around the lovers, making everyone around them shiver at the strength of it.

Tears came to Iruka's eyes when they reached the Hatake Compound. The main building had been painstakingly repaired by Kakashi and looked exactly like it had when his mother had been alive. The holes in the roof had been filled and the once rickety front steps were now stable and strong. Broken floorboards from the porch had been cleared away and replaced with new ones.

Even the yard had been fixed and repaired, courtesy of Daiki of course. Following a visit the day before, the Ookami of spring had offered to help Kakashi with the plants. The two men had worked late into the night until every dead stalk, stem, and leaf had been removed, giving Daiki fresh ground to work with. Kakashi had sat down on the repaired porch to watch the Ookami as he went about bringing forth new blades of grass from the dark earth. By the time midnight had passed, Daiki had stepped on every inch of soil in the Hatake's yard with his bare feet, the contact of his skin with the ground giving new life to the seeds that lay dormant under the surface.

"Now, you're really home," Kakashi whispered in his lover's ear as they strolled casually down the stone path to the porch.

"Yes, I am," Iruka laughed softly, carefully stepping up onto the first step.

Kakashi watched as the former teacher made his way up onto the porch, a hand over the bandages hidden under his shirt. When Iruka reached the last of the three steps, he turned to look down at Kakashi, smiling. He held out his hand to his lover. Smiling back, Kakashi took it and quickly jogged up the steps to Iruka. They held each other close, their hands breaking contact only for a moment to wrap around the other's back. The lovers rocked back and forth slightly as a faint breeze rushed past, making Iruka's hair fly. Iruka hummed in happiness as they swayed, his chin tucked around the back of Kakashi's neck, just as the Jounin's was to his. Pulling back, Kakashi yanked his mask down just enough to lay a soft, loving kiss just below Iruka's ear. Shivering, Iruka gripped Kakashi tighter, squeezing his eyes shut.

Kakashi kissed his neck again before whispering, "We should probably go in. I think they're waiting for us."

"It's time to give them the shock of a lifetime. I'm going to enjoy this," Iruka murmured back, smiling wickedly.

"No wonder Naruto sees you as a father figure. You're both love to trick people, don't you?" Kakashi laughed softly as he set his mask back in place.

Iruka shrugged casually, grinning. Kakashi could see his beloved's mischievous streak in that smile and he was too relieved to see that it was still there to worry about what the former teacher was planning or if he was at all. Pushing the front door open, Kakashi let Iruka step into the front hall first. A wave of voices greeted them as they silently walked down the hall towards what would be the living room. Iruka stopped just before the open door of the room, smiling back at Kakashi with his pointer finger resting on his lips in a sign of silence.

"What does Kakashi-sensei want to talk about?" the voice of Sakura asked.

"You already know the answer to that question, Sakura," Ino replied, sounding annoyed. "None of his know so just stop asking."

"I'm more interested in why he's moving back here," another ninja murmured. "I thought he'd abandoned it forever."

Iruka easily recognized the soft, but strong tone of Kurenai.

"Maybe he finally came to his senses and decided it was time to stop running away from his family," a rough voice muttered.

Iruka whipped around to look at Kakashi, mouthing a single word: Sasuke? The Jounin nodded happily. Not long after Iruka had been kidnapped, the Uchiha had been found by a group of Genin that were on a mission near the border with the Land of Rice. He'd willingly submitted to them and had cooperated in every sense of the word ever since. After the restrictions on him lifted, Sasuke had even traveled to the Land of Snow to help Kakashi in his final search for Iruka.

"You shouldn't be the one saying that, teme. You haven't moved back into your clan's home," Naruto replied.

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke hissed.

Iruka stepped into the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. He shook his head as he watched his two former students start to argue. No one in the room had noticed he was there, their entire attention directed on the best friends.

"I'm glad to see that nothing has changed on this front," Iruka laughed.

Everyone turned to look at him, all in shock except for Naruto and Shikamaru. Even Sasuke, and Neji, who usually maintained such cold appearances, couldn't help, but gape at their former teacher.

"Y-Y-You're fucking alive!" Sakura screamed.

"Um, yeah. I am," Iruka said, his ears aching slightly from the high pitch of the young woman's shriek.

Suddenly, he was engulfed by a wave of happy bodies that flung themselves at him wildly. He shouted in surprise as he was thrown backwards, almost hitting the wall behind him. Wincing, he looked down at the people who held him tightly. Sakura and Ino had their arms around his chest, clutching tightly. Kiba was gripping one of his legs, almost crying. Tenten had his other leg.

"C-Can you all let go please?" Iruka croaked. "Tsunade just released me from the hospital today and I'd rather not have to go back."

"Oh, sorry!" his former students cried, jumping off of him.

Straightening up, Iruka held back a groan as pain shot up his spine. Kakashi was there a split second later, holding his shoulders. Iruka gave him a smile, laying his hand on top of his lover's. The Jounin pushed against his back softly, forcing him into the living room and to sit down on the now empty couch. Iruka's former students filed in after him, filling in any empty spots in the ring of people that surrounded Iruka.

"We all thought you were dead," Sasuke stated coolly.

"Teme! Watch-"

"-It's fine, Naruto," Iruka interrupted, holding up a hand to silence him. "It's a valid question."

"So, what happened?" Kurenai pressed.

Iruka smiled at the curious, almost frantic tone in her voice.

"I'm sure that you all know the basics," Iruka said.

"You went on a mission to deliver a scroll, were kidnapped and held for several months by Himura Utake until you managed to escape and disappeared. Yeah, we all know that," Sasuke said plainly.

"Well, I ran into a much bigger problem than that. Speaking of which, Naruto, where is Shinobu?"

"He's in the back playing with Pakkun and the others. It seems that the dogs really like him," the blond replied, shrugging.

"I'll go get him," Kakashi said as he quickly left the room.

Iruka looked back at the group of people assembled before him. They were all curious as to what the former teacher was going to tell them.

"I'll be able to explain more when Kakashi comes back," Iruka said.

"Why were you at the hospital?" Sakura asked, deciding to switch topics while she could.

"I had a bad wound that I needed healed."

"Tsunade-sensei never said anything."

"That's because him being there was supposed to be a secret," Shikamaru said.

"You knew? You knew and you didn't say anything?" Sakura and Ino shouted together.

Smiling, Iruka nodded so that the Chuunin wouldn't have to. He leaned forward slightly as a tight feeling grew around his healing scar, almost sighing happily when it went away.

"He helped Tsunade sneak me into the village."

"We knew that it was you," Hinata giggled. "Neji and I recognized your chakra flow."

Iruka laughed as he met Neji's gaze. The former Hyuuga shuffled his feet nervously.

"How are you, Sugata?" Iruka asked, seeing a shiver run through Neji as he heard his Ookami name.

"I'm fine, Fuyu," Neji replied, "Although I think that I should be the one asking."

All around the room, eyes widened in surprise. They'd all been at the battle between Fuyu and Aku and the raw power of the Ookami had shocked them all into respect for the shadowed figure.

"There's not much to complain about on my end. It took me six years, but I'm finally home. What more could I ask for, cousin?" Iruka chuckled.

A faint smile tugged at Neji's lips as a gasp went around the room.

"For an Ookami, there isn't much else to ask for," he said.

Suddenly, the sound of claws scraping on wood filled the air, followed by a series of deep barks. A flash of white sped into the room and leapt up onto the couch. The white wolf pup sneezed slightly as it sat down next to Iruka, the force of it making his entire body shake.

"Aw, how cute," Sakura cooed as the pup turned its dark eyes up to her.

"Another Ookami?" Kiba asked, his hand resting on Akamaru's head.

The giant dog had run in after the pup and settled next to his owner. His ears lay flat as Kiba scratched his head.

"Arashi," Neji murmured.

The wolf pup glanced over at him, brown eyes wide. Curling its back, the pup pulled itself up onto his haunches as he started to change. Within moments, Shinobu was back in his half-human form, white hair flopping his eyes. Reaching over, Iruka brushed the boy's bangs out of the way.

"Cousin Sugata," Shinobu said, smiling brightly.

"Who is the kid?" Sasuke asked.

"This was my… slight set back," Iruka said slowly, running his fingers through his son's hair.

Neji was standing the back yard of the Hatake Compound, lost in thought. He'd recognized Shinobu as an Ookami of his bloodline as soon as the child- then a pup- had stepped into the room. It had taken him less than a second to put two and two together, but the fact startled him just the same. Shinobu was Iruka and Kakashi's son; he was the son of two men. Shivering, Neji sat down on the edge of the back porch, pulling his knees to his chest. Night had fallen, throwing darkness onto the lawn.

"Would you like some company?" Iruka asked as he stepped out of the house.

The former Hyuuga shrugged in response. Slowly, the former teacher sat down next to him, moving carefully as so not to rip open his healing scar. The two Ookami sat in silence for a while, looking out over the grass.

"So, you're dating the Kazekage?" Iruka finally asked.

"Yes and yes, we have already had sex," Neji replied.

"I wasn't going to ask. I was just going to assume on that one," Iruka laughed. "Oh well. Better to be safe than sorry, I guess."

"What was it like?" Neji asked.

"Sorry?"

"Being pregnant. What was it like?"

Frowning, Iruka tried to think of how to put the feelings he'd felt in those nine months into a few sentences. It was hard to do considering the circumstances in which he'd been, but, after a few moments, he came up with something tangible.

"It was the best and worst thing that could have happened. In the beginning, I was terrified and I had no idea what was going on. That alone scared the shit out of me. Add in the other problems –being a prisoner, the mission, being away from Kakashi, getting homesick- and it was a huge cluster fuck. Eventually though, I got used to the idea. The morning sickness went away and I actually starting thinking that it was a good thing," Iruka said, a smile playing on his lips.

"What about the birth?"

"It was the worst fucking pain I've ever felt in my entire life. Then again, I wasn't in a hospital. I was in the woods and had no drugs to keep the pain down."

Neji shuddered.

"And then you cut yourself open," he murmured.

"Exactly."

Iruka glanced over at his former student, seeing the troubled look on his face. Reaching over, Iruka laid a hand on Neji's shoulder, squeezing it.

"Don't think about that yet, cousin. You're too young to worry about things like that."

"I know, I know. That's what Gaara keeps saying."

"Then your boyfriend is a smart man."

Neji nodded, meeting Iruka's gaze. The cousins stared at each other for a silent moment. Ever since he'd realized the Iruka was Fuyu, Neji had gotten used to the idea of them being related. He was actually honored to have his former teacher as a relative. He'd always liked Iruka and had looked up to him a great deal in his days at the Academy. The man had always been kind, but stern, able to keep even the worst of students in line.

"Are you and Kakashi going to have more children?" Neji asked.

"We hope so. Tsunade said we could," Iruka said, sighing. "I want to have more kids and I know Kakashi does too, but there's always a risk with Ookami children, even if Himura no longer has the forgery. He could still easily hunt us down if he wanted."

"From what Daiki said, his hunters are the best," the former Hyuuga murmured.

"They are. I was hiding out in the middle of the wilderness when they found me."

"When do you think he'll strike next?"

"It's hard to say, but soon, I think. He won't lie in wait for long."

Neji smirked.

"I hate the man, but I will give him credit for being so damn tenacious. He's given me a new challenge," the young man said.

Suddenly, the door behind them slid open, revealing a concerned Kakashi. He held a small scroll in one hand.

"What is it?" Iruka asked.

"Tsunade sent us this," the Jounin said, tossing the scroll to his lover.

Unrolling it, Iruka started to read the contents.

**Come to Hokage Tower as soon as you get this. Bring only Iruka and Neji. Leave Shinobu with Kurenai or Naruto.**

**-Tsunade**

"Has something happened?" Iruka asked as he handed the scroll to his cousin.

"That's what I'm not sure of, but I think its important. She wouldn't have sent for us tonight if it wasn't," the Jounin replied. "I've already told the others and Kurenai has already agreed to watch Shinobu for as long as we need."

Nodding, Iruka slowly stood up with help from his lover. He tried to walk into the house, but pain shot through his body, making him hiss in pain.

"Get on my back. It'll be faster," Kakashi said, almost commanding his beloved.

Iruka did as he was told and climbed onto his lover's broad, strong back. He gripped Kakashi's shoulders as the ninja leapt up onto the roof, running easily over to the front of the house. Neji followed close behind, easily keeping up with Kakashi.

As soon as the ninja landed in front of Hokage Tower, Tsunade came bursting out the front door. She was dressed in a long robe over a basic pair of black pants and a white t-shirt. Quickly rushing them into the building, Tsunade locked the front door behind her.

"Why did you call us here?" Iruka asked as the ninjas followed Tsunade through the Tower.

"One of the guards found some things just outside of the front gate," the Hokage said. "It's something you'll take an interest in."

Iruka and Neji glanced at each other when Tsunade stopped in front of a heavy, metal door. It swung in easily enough as the Hokage opened it. A smell strong and pungent slammed into Iruka's senses, flooding them painfully. The former teacher grimaced, grabbing his nose. Neji shuddered as the smell infiltrated his nose as well, filling his mouth with a terrible taste. The four ninja stepped into the small room.

Tears fell from Neji's pale eyes as he looked at what was around him. Three corkboards had been set up along the back wall of the room. Each one had something different tacked to it. Slowly, Neji walked over to the nearest corkboard, running his hand along the pelt that hung there. An image flashed in his mind and he leaned forward, sobbing into the fur. He felt an arm wrap around his waist and he let himself be pulled into Gaara's embrace. Fury and terror raged through him, making his whole body shake. Neji glanced over at Iruka, who had his face buried in Kakashi's shoulder.

From each corkboard hung a wolf's pelt and a scrap of paper reading the name of the Ookami it had been stolen from.

**Woah! Shocker. Hello sadistic bastard Himura. **


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Where did you even find those?" Gaara asked, his voice a soft whisper.

"They were nailed to the front gates along with two hitai-ate; both from Kumogakure," Tsunade murmured. "I have no idea how Himura's men managed to get that close, but they somehow did. How are Neji and Iruka?"

"Not good," Kakashi admitted. "Neither of them have said anything."

"Daiki and the others are with them now. None of them have spoken either," Gaara added.

"I'm not surprised. The Ookami seem to have strong connections that bind them all together, even after death," the Hokage said. "They know who the pelts belonged to, don't they?"

Both Gaara and Kakashi nodded sadly.

"No one has said any names," the Jounin said before he slowly opened the door.

The Ookami were sitting in a small circle at the center of the room, their legs crossed and knees touching each other's. Their heads were all bowed, eyes closed. The pelts were spread out on the floor inside the circle.

Taking as quiet of steps as possible, Kakashi skirted around the edge of the circle, sitting down behind Iruka. Gaara did the same, taking a seat just behind his own lover. Tsunade stayed near the door, watching as Iruka scooted back away from the other Ookami and leaned against his lover. Kakashi folded his arms around the former teacher, pulling him into his lap. On the other side of the circle, Gaara was kneading Neji's shoulders, his forehead settled on the back of Neji's neck.

Rei suddenly lifted her head to look at Tsunade. The Hokage shivered under the Ookami's strong, but tear filled gaze. Without breaking eye contact, Rei picked up the pelt closest to her, a pained look spreading across her face. Next to her, Ketai held up the Kumogakure hitai-ate, also raising his eyes.

"He was my eldest," Daiki murmured, his head still bowed. "Ryou Hibikino, the West Wind or Nashikaze, bringer of spring's early breezes. He made Jounin just before Himura caught him."

"He was the last one before me," Iruka added quietly.

He rested his cheek against Kakashi's shoulder, snuggling into the crook of the Jounin's neck for comfort. Kakashi rubbed his lover's side in response.

"You're sure of that?" Tsunade asked slowly.

"We all saw it," Neji replied, his voice cold and hard.

"Saw what?" the Hokage asked.

"His death," the seven Ookami said at once.

"We touched the fur and we all felt him as he was-" Ketai murmured.

"-being chased by a pack of men with that damn fucking emblem on their clothes," Rei spat.

"They had arrows tipped with poison-" Daiki continued.

"-So much fucking poison, though not enough to kill-" Iruka moaned, shuddering even in Kakashi's grasp.

"-And they shot him in the shoulder," Emi whispered.

"They made him fight the last of the Kino line-" Daiki said.

"-a final bloody battle that killed them both," Neji finished.

They all fell back into silence, allowing it to settle around them. Rei and Ketai both lowered their gaze to the floor, setting down the pelt and the hitai-ate. Iruka still shuddered where he sat in Kakashi's lap. The very mention of the poison that had knocked Ryou Hibikino unconscious brought back memories that Iruka had hoped to forget someday. It had flowed freely in his own body once, bringing with it terrible nightmares that had plagued him for days after his capture.

"You want to know who the other two were, don't you?" Daiki asked, glancing up at Tsunade for the first time.

The Hokage nodded.

"He was the last of the Kino line," Emi said as she motioned to one of the other two pelts.

It was almost entirely dark gray, although a few flecks of white fur dotted one shoulder. Unlike the other two, this pelt didn't have a hitai-ate to accompany it.

"The one that your brother fought and killed?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes and the third one was a distant cousin of his, Setsuko. She was killed several years before he was after she disappeared on a recon mission in the Land of Water," Emi replied.

"And you saw their deaths as well?"

The Ookami all nodded at the same time.

"W-What would you like to do with them?"

There was a moment of silence before Daiki stood up, towering over the others. His gold tail was still as he turned to Tsunade.

"Once this is over, we want to take them back to Kumogakure with us. All of them were raised there and two were ninja. They deserve to be buried where all of their comrades have been," he said, his voice the epitome of seriousness.

"I shall respect that. I would ask the same if anything ever happened to one of my ninja, Ookami or not," Tsunade said slowly.

Her gaze fell to Kakashi and Iruka, both of them meeting her stare. They were clutching each other tightly and Iruka's abnormally long tail was wrapped protectively around Kakashi's body. Slowly, Tsunade turned her gaze to Neji and Gaara. The young couple had barely moved throughout the entire conversation, Gaara's forehead still lying on the back of Neji's neck. All that had changed was that the Kazekage's arms were around his lover's shoulders. Neither of them looked at her.

"Right," Tsunade murmured. "I believe it is best that you all get some sleep. It's nearly one a.m. and I don't want any of you tired when Himura finally makes his move."

Tsunade watched as, one by one, the Ookami stood and filed out the room. Daiki left first, his children trailing behind him. Emi wasn't far behind them as she rushed to keep up. Kakashi, worried about the still healing wound on Iruka's pelvis, carried his lover on his back as they left the room. The Hokage noticed the Jounin's fast, efficient steps, a clear sign that the couple wanted to return to their young son as soon as possible. Neji and Gaara were last. They held hands, both of their faces hidden behind cold masks.

Neji rushed to the bathroom the moment they stepped into Gaara's temporary apartment. He leaned heavily against the counter, his chin dropping to his chest. His mask broke, allowing the tears to flow again. Minoru cried along with them.

Gaara softly pulled Neji to him, rubbing small circles on his lower back, trying to calm him. They sunk to the floor as the former Hyuuga lost all strength in his legs. Neji curled up into a tight ball, resting against Gaara's chest. He pulled his dark tail up, grabbing it with his hands. He held it tightly, burying his face in the fur. Gaara let him cry.

At one point, Kankuro sleepily walked into the bathroom, having been woken by the sound of Neji sobbing. When he saw his brother and the former Hyuuga, he'd hunkered down next to them, giving Gaara a concerned look. Everyone who'd ever met a Hyuuga knew of their infamous cold personas and Kankuro himself had seen it firsthand on the battlefield. He knew Neji to be as calm and collected as any other and to see him breaking was more frightening than anything else.

Gaara didn't say anything to his elder brother. Kankuro, recognizing that something terrible would have had to happen for Neji to be like this, reached out and stroked Neji's hair, pulling it out of the metal clasp. Setting it up on the counter, the older Sabaku sibling started to carefully braid the former Hyuuga's hair.

When they were still in their teens, Temari had gone on a mission with a close friend of hers. By the time they returned, the friend, another ninja of great reputation, suffered a severe breakdown. For nearly a month, his sister had sat at her friend's bedside. Whenever he started to have a panic attack or needed comfort of any kind, she would sit him up in bed and brush and braid his hair. It was a great comfort to him and, usually, he would fall into a peaceful sleep within minutes.

In no time, Neji had sunk into the world of dreams, his breath evening out and becoming calm. Finishing the braid, Kankuro let it slip out of his fingers, the silky strands slowly unfolding themselves from each other until Neji's hair was one again completely straight.

Gaara lifted Neji up into his arms as he stood. He nodded thankfully to his brother before he left the bathroom, carrying the exhausted man to their bedroom. Laying his lover on their bed, Gaara curled up next to him, their bodies fitting perfectly together. In a sudden streak of protectiveness, the Kazekage threw one arm over Neji's hips, holding him tightly. Throughout the night, he listened to his lover's breathing, relishing in the fact that the former Hyuuga was sleeping without nightmares to haunt him.

When Neji awoke the following morning, his eyelids felt heavy. Groaning, he slowly opened them, sunlight blinding him momentarily. He groaned again and shut them, pressing back against the body behind him- Gaara. The Kazekage propped himself up on his elbow as Neji rolled around to face him, opening his eyes again.

"Would you like tea or coffee?" Gaara asked.

"Tea would be great," Neji said, smiling.

The couple shuffled into the kitchen to find Kankuro sitting at the table. He'd already brewed coffee and was downing a huge gulp of it as fast as he could. Gaara rolled his eyes as he retrieved two mugs while Neji took a seat next to his lover's brother. Kankuro gave him a warm smile as he passed a small box of teabags to Neji. Picking out two of the bags, one mint and the other plain green, Neji watched Gaara as he boiled the water.

When the kettle screeched loudly, Gaara quickly and efficiently grabbed it off of the stove top and poured the scorching water into the waiting mugs. Walking over to the table behind him, he set one in front of Neji and the other before his own chair. He took the packet of green tea leaves from the former Hyuuga and started to steep them in the hot water in his mug. The sharp smell of mint intermingled with the softer, more homely tang of Gaara's preferred flavor and Kankuro's strong black coffee as steam rose from the mugs, carrying the scents up into the air around them.

Neji took a tentative sip when an alarm rang out, alerting all three of the ninja. They glanced at each other before rushing back to their respective bedrooms to throw on some new, wrinkle-free clothing. Himura Utake had finally made his move.

Iruka was awoken by the loud, whining sound of alarm. He could hear Kakashi cursing slightly as he leapt out of bed to change into his ninja uniform. Slowly, Iruka rolled onto his side, throwing his legs over the side of the bed before he sat up, his loose hair wild and untamed. He blinked away any remaining sleep from his eyes and watched as the Jounin quickly pulled on a shirt and his black pants.

"I wish I could come with you," he said, tossing back the thin sheets of the bed.

"There's no way that I'm letting you do that," Kakashi replied as he threw on his Jounin jacket. "Tsunade said that you are in no form to fight."

"I know," Iruka sighed.

He walked over to his lover and reached up to comb Kakashi's hair into place.

"I just want this damn cut to heal already," he muttered.

"It will soon and you'll be back to kicking students' asses in no time," Kakashi laughed. "Oh, and you might want to put some pants on or something."

He and Iruka exchanged a sweet kiss before he ran out the door, heading for the front entry. Slowly, Iruka leaned down and picked up a pair of pants that had been abandoned on the floor. He sat down on the edge of the bed, carefully sliding them on. Iruka managing to limp out to the living room in time to catch a final glimpse of his lover as he bolted out onto the front porch.

"Papa, what's happening?" Shinobu asked.

Iruka turned to look back at his son. The boy was wearing only a pair of dark shorts, his small chest left bare. He'd clearly slept in his half-human form, the fur on his tail flattened slightly on one side. His dark eyes were wide with uncertainty.

"Is the bear man here?" the boy asked, his tail twitching nervously.

"He is, but don't worry," Iruka said as he limped over to his son. "The powers that stand between you and him have taken down some of the most terrifying ninjas in all of history. Go pick out some clothes to wear while I get breakfast ready."

The child Ookami nodded and dashed off in the direction of his room. Iruka went the opposite way, heading for the kitchen. After pulling some bread out of the cupboard, Iruka sat down at the table with a knife in his hands, his back and ass aching slightly. The night before, they had decided to hold off on having sex so quickly after Iruka's surgery, but it didn't mean that Kakashi couldn't start preparing his beloved for it ahead of time. Iruka knew that Kakashi wanted to be careful with him after six years of celibacy and he silently thanked the Jounin for it. Kakashi could be very considerate when he wanted to be.

**Preview: The third battle with Himura Utake and his army commences. **


	24. Chapter 23

**Summary: The third day of battle begins. Iruka and Shinobu get a surprise visit.**

Chapter 23

By the time Neji, Kankuro, and Gaara reached the battlefield, the fighting had already started. Ninja from both Suna and Konoha were using every tactic they knew to push the advancing soldiers back while ducking under their chakra-sucking swords. Tsunade was shouting commands over the loud cries and clanging of battle.

With a low growl, Neji morphed into his half-wolf form, claws growing long and dark over his fingers. He leapt into the fray, delivering a strong blow of chakra to the back of one soldier's neck. The ninja that the soldier had been fighting with, a Suna Jounin, nodded his appreciation before he turned to fight another opponent.

Within seconds, a soldier bore down on Neji, swinging his sword at the former Hyuuga's head. Neji ducked out of the way as he kicked outward, his heel connecting with the soldier's knee. He heard the loud crack and the scream that followed, leaping up to bring his chakra-covered palm under the soldier's chin. His head snapped back and the sword fell to the ground, sticking in the mud as its owner fell beside it.

On the other end of the battlefield, some of the Konoha Jounin were trying to keep another wave of soldiers from advancing on the village. They let out shrieks of pain as they started to tire, the swords sapping their chakra. Kankuro, having recognized Akamaru's loud bark, had disappeared in that direction.

"Go help them!" Neji shouted to Gaara. "I'll be fine here."

Gaara paused for a moment, nervous, but still did what his lover said.

His Byakugan sensed something approaching him, a wave of shurikan. Planting one foot, Neji quickly altered his flow of chakra, letting it pour out of his body. He waited for a moment and suddenly, he launched himself off of his back foot, his front foot still planted in the soft ground. As he spun, the wall of chakra he'd built up around him defected the shurikan, rendering them useless as they fell to the dirt.

"Hyuuga!" he heard someone yell as he slowed to a stop.

Quickly ducking, Neji watched as a sword flew over him before it became embedded in the flesh of a nearby tree. Spinning around, Neji saw as another soldier, a dark-haired man, standing not far away. The battle around them had thinned as the other soldiers rushed towards the center of the field, where the Kazekage and the Hokage had taken the lead against the approaching soldiers.

All sound seemed to fade away as the two men faced each other. Neji growled loudly, feeling his chest vibrate as he dropped down onto all fours. He bared his teeth at the soldier. He didn't need to be told his name to know exactly who this man was.

Himura Utake was dressed in the same gray armor as his soldiers. It was smeared with blood, dying the metal a shade of deep red. Apart from the empty sheath that hung at his hip, Neji could see two more blades resting on his back, their handles visible over the lord's shoulders. He smirked at Neji, his handsome face contorting into a wicked mask.

"Are you ready to die, Hyuuga Ookami?" Himura asked.

"Not the slightest," Neji hissed back, his claws digging into the soil.

They sprung at each other, Himura drawing both of his swords in one swift move. Neji let a loud yowl loose from his throat as he ducked under one of Himura's swings, quickly rolling out of the way as the other sword slammed down just inches from his face. Balancing all of his weight on his arms, Neji threw himself up and into a flip, landing carefully on his face. As he turned to face Himura, he leapt up, one of the swords sailing under his feet. With a grin, Neji kicked out at the lord's face. His foot connected with Himura's nose, breaking it. Stumbling back, Himura held his face, groaning in pain. Neji backed up as well, smirking.

He waited for the lord to recover, enjoying the fight as he'd never enjoyed one before. Himura threw him a nasty glare before he rushed forward again. Neji took up one of the Hyuuga Clan's signature stances, one arm spread out as chakra flowed easily from his body. Lines of green appeared on the dirt around him, forming circles.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms," he murmured to himself as Himura stepped into the field of his attack.

A flurry of rapid punches bore down on Himura, aimed at every pressure and chakra point in his body. The lord cried out in agony. When the attack was over, Neji leapt back a few more feet, trying to keep a good amount of space between him and Himura's twin swords. He cursed softly under his breath. The majority of the attack had been blocked by the thick, metal armor that Himura wore, preventing Neji from physically touching anything on the man's torso and sections of his arms.

Raising his head, Himura held up both of his swords. Chakra exploded from his hands, engulfing the metal blades of the swords. Neji dropped back onto all fours as Himura brought one arm back, flinging the chakra-covered sword as the former Hyuuga. Neji dodged the first easily, but the absolute speed of the second sword escaped his Byakugan entirely. The former Hyuuga cried out in pain as it sliced through his side, leaving him with a gaping wound.

Neji gripped his side tightly with one hand, feeling blood seep between his fingers. He clenched his teeth in pain. Himura's mouth curved into a smug smirk.

"Just let it go, Ookami. You're gonna die anyway and your pelt will be mine," the lord laughed as he stretched his arms out of either side, flames of chakra covering his palms.

Neji's eyes widened in surprise as something slammed into his back, throwing him forward onto the ground. He groaned and looked up. One of the swords was back in Himura's hands. Neji tried to stand and managed to get up onto his knees before the other sword slammed into his back, cutting a deep wound across it. He collapsed into the dirt as the second sword flew into Himura's hand. His chakra was gone.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Himura asked as he advanced on Neji. "These swords of mine are designed to have a similar effect that your Eight Trigrams attacks do. It seals the chakra release points, rendering the body powerless. However, there is one slight difference: it steals your own chakra to use in the sealing process."

He knelt next to Neji, clucking his tongue when the former Hyuuga stood up again.

"People always underestimate me. It's rather a shame. Aku is often considered to be my best hunter, but the reality is: I am," Himura said, smiling. "You've made this hunt interesting, I have to say, even if you haven't been able to use your Ookami powers against me. I would have liked the challenge."

He raised one of the swords and brought it down with great force, the blade sinking into the ground next to Neji's head. The former Hyuuga glanced at the sword that the Lord still held, watching as a single drop of blood fell from the tip of the blade.

"Did you enjoy my little present yesterday? They are lovely, aren't they: Ookami pelts. They fetch a high price, especially those of ninja," the Lord continued

The memory of the pelts brought Neji's rage bubbling back up to the surface, giving him a burst of new energy. He jumped forward, claws outstretched. Laughing, Himura dodged out of the way, grabbing at Neji's arm. He slammed Neji down onto the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Coughing, Neji found his strength waning once again and he closed eyes as he fought down the pain.

Suddenly, he heard the crackling of electricity and series of loud shouts. He opened his eyes to find Himura gone, replaced by empty air. Trying to sit up, Neji fell back into the dirt with a yelp of pain. His eyes slid closed again and he managed to roll himself onto his good side, holding the gaping wound with his hand.

"Neji!"

Gaara was yelling for him. Neji moaned and opened his eyes as Gaara dropped to the dirt beside him, gathering the wounded Hyuuga in his arms. He saw the frantic look that covered his lover's face as he shouted to someone nearby.

"Kakashi, are you alright?" the Kazekage called.

A few yards away, the Jounin was leaning over the nearly unconscious body of Himura Utake, his grin wicked. The lord was howling in pain as electricity from Kakashi's Chidori ran through his body. Ropes of chakra were tying themselves around the lord's wrists, pulling his hands behind his back.

"I'm fine," Kakashi panted before he looked down at the lord before him. "You're coming with me, you fucker," he snarled, delivering a sharp kick to Himura's stomach.

The lord coughed up a few flecks of blood, his eyes closed tightly. Reaching down, Kakashi forced him to stand up and almost dragged him back in the direction of the village. Gaara followed close behind, Neji unconscious in his arms.

"Iruka-sensei!" Konohamaru shouted as the burst into the Hatake home.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Frowning, Iruka stood up from his chair at the table and turned to his former student. The only thing that had changed since Kakashi had left the house hardly half an hour earlier was that he now wore a black shirt. His hair still flowed freely around his face and shoulders. Shinobu glanced up from his breakfast as the Genin ran into the kitchen.

"Did something happen?" Iruka asked.

"Yes. It's big news!" Konohamaru panted excitedly. "Hatake-san has taken Himura Utake prisoner!"

Collapsing back on his chair, the former teacher let out a sigh of relief. Behind him, Shinobu grinned widely, realizing what it meant.

"Chichi caught the bear man?" the small boy asked.

He giggled as he dropped the spoon into his bowl of cereal and excitedly leapt from his chair. Dashing around the table, the boy jumped up into his father's lap, grabbing at the front of his shirt.

"Chichi got the bear man! He can't hunt anymore!" Shinobu cried.

Iruka nodded at his son, wiping away a happy tear.

"Where are they now?" Iruka demanded as he glanced at Konohamaru over his son's shoulder.

"Hatake-san is supposed to be taking him to Hokage Tower, but there are so many civilians crowding the streets wanting to see that bastard Himura that they're slowing them down. It's turned into more of a parade than an escort!" the Genin laughed.

Shinobu settled into Iruka's lap, grinning proudly at what his chichi had done.

"What about Neji and the others? Are they still fighting?"

"Most of our ninja are, including the Hokage herself. The Kazekage and Hyuuga-san are with Kakashi. Hyuuga-san was badly injured in a fight with Himura and is being taken to the hospital," Konohamaru reported.

"What-"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. Both Iruka and Konohamaru glanced in that direction, but it was Konohamaru that went to answer it. A bad feeling grew in Iruka's stomach and he was about to say something to his former student as he rounded the corner, heading into the main hall.

"Hello, who are-"

There was a loud blast and the Genin was throw backwards, slamming hard into the floor. Iruka rose as quickly as he could, ignoring the pain that rocketed through his side as he pushed Shinobu behind him. A figure clad in black stepped over the unconscious body of Konohamaru, glancing down at the Genin before up at Iruka. The two men stared at each other for a silent moment, the Ookami feeling his claws slip out. His eyes flashed from brown to blue as he snarled.

"Shinobu, get help!" he shouted as the man charged towards them.

Practically throwing Shinobu away from him, Iruka met the attack full on, directing a strong swipe at his attacker's face. They both landed their hits: Iruka's to the other man's face and the man's to Iruka's shoulder. With a yelp, Iruka landed hard on the table behind as his attacker backed away, a hand held up to his cheek. His eyes hardened into a glare as the hand dropped to his side, revealing five long, deep gashes.

Iruka scrambled up as the man formed a series of seals with his hands. He rolled out of the way of a fist that slammed into the table where he'd just been, breaking the wood furniture in half. The former teacher bit back a hiss of pain as he hit the floor ungracefully and dashed to stand between the kitchen door and his attacker. Turning turned to face the man, Iruka narrowed his ice blue eyes. He smiled somewhat when he heard Shinobu's voice coming from the front yard, shouting for help.

The room started to grow cold as Iruka slid the door behind him closed. Suddenly, there was a loud crack and the man dressed in black looked around wildly. The walls, ceiling, and floor were coated with thick layers of ice, encasing them in a hollowed out block of ice. Iruka could see his own breath as the temperature continued to drop in the room.

"Now, let's see how you do on my turf," the Ookami of winter growled as he let go of the door behind him.

Out in the street, Shinobu was screaming for help. He ran frantically up to the nearest house, banging on the door.

"Help!" the small boy cried as he pounded on the woof with his fists.

"Help!" he shouted as he raced down the steps of house, heading for the next one.

He stopped on the last step, eyes widening in fear. Another man dressed all in black stood at the edge of the yard, waiting. Shinobu's gaze fell to the giant blade that hung from the man's belt and he gulped.

"Come with me, little boy," the man said, holding out his hand to Shinobu.

Growling in response, the child stayed where he saw, his eyes narrowing.

"I promise that I won't hurt you if you do," the man said.

"Papa told me to never trust strangers," Shinobu replied.

"Well, your papa was wrong. I can help you," the man murmured.

"No," Shinobu said, shaking his head. "You work for the bear man, I know you do. He hurt Papa, but Chichi caught him."

"God damn it, kid, just come with me!" the man muttered, growing angry.

"No."

"Do as I say!"

"No!"

The man lunged at him and Shinobu yowled, falling back onto the step behind him as the man closed his fingers around the child's wrist. There was a loud crash and his attacker fell at Shinobu's feet, the smell of burning flesh rising from the his dead body. Shaking, the boy kicked the body away from him, tears starting to stream down his face. He stood up and skirted around the body, sobbing. As soon as his feet were on the grass again, Shinobu took off into the street.

"Help!" he shouted, throwing his head back as his scream grew into a wolf's howl, the first of his life.

**And there you have it: Shinobu's first kill. **

**Preview: Gaara waits anxiously at the hospital as Neji is stitched up. Kakashi visits Himura in his jail cell. Tsunade sends a message to the other three Kages.**


	25. Chapter 24

**Summary: Gaara waits anxiously at the hospital as Neji is stitched up. Kakashi visits Himura in his jail cell. Naruto checks on Iruka and Shinobu.**

Chapter 24

His nails dug into the skin of his palms, creating a dull pain that Gaara largely ignored. The fists that were his hands hung at his sides, rigid, as he waited for someone –anyone- to tell him how Neji was. When he'd seen Himura standing over his lover from across the battlefield, absolute terror had flooded his entire being. He silently thanked whatever God was out there that Kakashi had been there. If not, the Kazekage knew that Neji would either have been kidnapped or killed right in front of him.

He glanced down at his shirt, which was soaked with blood. Slowly, he reached up and lay his hand over his heart, where the stain was deepest. He took a shaky breath, remembering the hot, sticky, metallic blood that had flowed so freely from his Neji's side. In that moment, he'd panicked again and realized that his lover was too injured to survive any sort of teleportation or anything of the like. Even a sharp movement could have ended Neji's life, let alone a sudden flurry of chakra transporting his entire body somewhere else. No, Gaara didn't want that. He wanted Neji to survive.

Suddenly, a door opened and Gaara looked up. Sakura motioned to him before ducking back into the room she'd come from. Gaara hurried after her, slipping in through the door just before it closed.

"How is he?" Gaara asked as the pink-haired kunoichi led him down a dark hallway.

"Stable," Sakura replied. "He lost quite a bit of blood, but thankfully, Hinata was willing to give up some. We stitched up the wound and gave him some morphine, so he probably won't be waking up until tomorrow morning at the earliest."

Gaara breathed a sigh of relief and Sakura gave him a reassuring smile.

"Neji's been through far worse before. He'll easily pull through. I know it," she said as she opened another door and led Gaara inside.

A male medic looked up as they came in. He held a clipboard in one hand and he'd been writing down the information on the small screen in front of him. Neji lay in the bed, unconscious. Gaara shuddered slightly when he saw the multitude of tubes and wires that were attached to his lover's body, checking his vitals to make sure that they were still working.

Walking over to the bed, Gaara ran his fingers through Neji's bangs, straightening them out in the way the Hyuuga liked. He heard Sakura snicker somewhat behind him, but he ignored her.

"How about the others?" the Kazekage asked tentatively.

He heard Sakura sigh softly.

"We lost four Chuunin and one Jounin. Another three Chuunin are in critical condition and several more are injured. One of your Jounin was also badly injured," the kunoichi said.

Gaara nodded, calculating the numbers in his head.

"We got off easy," he murmured.

"I'd say so," Sakura agreed.

"Does Tsunade-san need me for anything?" Gaara asked.

"No, though Tsunade-sensei did say that she was going to send a message to the Kages of the other villages about Himura's capture," Sakura said.

"Good idea. I'm guessing that the other villages lost ninja or people as well that were Ookami," Gaara murmured.

"I'll leave you then. Someone will be in to check on Neji in a little while," the kunoichi said as she motioned to the other medic.

They quickly left, discussing the information the medic had had written down on his clipboard. Gaara turned his attention back to Neji, leaning up against the wall next to the bed. When the medic came back half an hour later, the Kazekage hadn't moved from his guard post.

The prison cells of Konoha's jail had been mostly empty since the end of the war seven years before, but now, one of them was occupied by one of the most hated men in all of Konoha. Kakashi growled something under his breath as he made his way towards the cell. Tsunade had promised him the first interrogation of Himura Utake and he was sure as hell going to act on that promise.

He stopped outside of Cell Number 9, his eyes narrowing for a second. Himura Utake was resting against the back wall, that wicked smirk still plastered to his face. His armor had been sent to some researchers for examination, leaving him in a pair of ripped black pants and a brown shirt. Neji's Sixty-Four Palms had taken effect while Kakashi had been escorting the lord to his cell, rendering the man unable to use his arms or his legs. Opening the door, Kakashi stepped inside, trying to keep his own face free of emotion.

"So, you're the little Ookami bitch's man?" Himura asked.

"If you're talking about Iruka, then yes," Kakashi said.

He rested his back on the wall and crossed his ankles. Folding his arms over his chest, Kakashi tried to appear as calm and cold as possible.

"Have you enjoyed having him back yet?" the lord asked.

"His company? Yes," Kakashi answered.

"So you haven't pounded into him yet. That's a shame," Himura sighed, shrugging.

"And why is that?" the Jounin asked.

"I was hoping to have more Ookami pelts in the future. I haven't killed one in over eight years and it's draining my coffers."

He could tell that the lord was mocking him, but the well-trained Jounin, a former member of ANBU, knew how to handle a situation like this. Kakashi fought down his rage, taking a deep breath to steady himself. However, he also knew that his cool attitude wasn't going to last for long. It never had whenever Iruka was the topic at hand.

"Sorry to tell you, Himura, but my kids won't be used for your target practice," he said rather seriously. "I rather like them with fur."

Kakashi smiled inwardly at the thought of a group of wolf pups running around in the backyard of their home.

"Really? Cause I hate them with it. I prefer it hanging up on my wall," Himura said, his voice cold.

"Well, since you're not going to be hunting at all any more, I suggest that you find a new hobby," Kakashi growled, his patience finally breaking. "Now-"

He smiled under his mask, eyes crinkling.

"-How about we get on with the main reason you're here? Tsunade gave me about a half hour or so before the real torturers get here."

"You're going to torture me?" Himura asked.

"Yep, I am. All of the shit you've done to my family is finally going to be paid back in full," the Jounin said as he pulled a kunai out of his weapon's pouch.

Naruto panicked when he saw the utter chaos that was concentrated around the Hatake compound. Neighbors stood out in the center of the street, whispering to themselves and throwing strange glances in the direction of Kakashi and Iruka's house. Speeding up to a run, Naruto wound through the pack of people, rushing over to where Sai stood.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

His dark-haired friend gave him a slightly saddened look, a surprise to Naruto and anyone else who had ever known the former ROOT member.

"One of Himura's men showed up and tried to take out Iruka. The kid managed to escape while the sensei fought their attacker off, but there was another one waiting outside," he said.

His voice dropped to a whisper as he added, "The kid killed the second guy."

"Wait, Shinobu-"

Without saying anything else, Naruto dashed off towards the house. He leapt up onto the front porch without ever touching the stairs, throwing the inspectors who stood at the door aside. As he passed the kitchen, Naruto glanced over his shoulder. He stopped in his tracks and turned back to look closer. Sheets of ice covered everything: the walls, the counters, the cabinets, even the table. Splatters of blood dotted the room. Water from the melting ice dripped from the frozen objects, forming several puddles on the wood floor.

"Holy shit," the blond murmured to himself.

Quickly, he turned away and headed for the bedrooms. Hearing whispers coming from Shinobu's room, the jinchuuriki quietly slid the door open, peaking inside. Iruka sat on the floor, his back resting against the side of Shinobu's bed. He was in his half-human form and his clawed hands were wrapped tightly around his son. Naruto was relieved to see that there were no visible wounds on his favorite teacher. Shinobu, also in his half-human form, sat on Iruka's lap, his cheek resting against his father's chest. Their tails were intertwined like the symbol of yin and yang, black and white spiraled around each other.

"Come on in, Naruto," Iruka said quietly as he stroked Shinobu's white hair.

Shinobu looked up as the blond slid the door closed behind him and came over to sit down beside Iruka. The small boy's cheeks were bright read and his eyes were puffy from crying. He clutched the front of Iruka's dark shirt tightly.

"How are you, brat?" Naruto asked, trying to cheer the boy up.

Sniffling, Shinobu let go of his father's shirt, wiping at his nose with the back of his hand. He silently got up from Iruka's lap and crawled into Naruto's, his white tail still interwoven with his father's.

"I meant to hurt him, but not kill him," the small boy murmured. "He was just so scary."

Naruto hugged the boy close, smiling down at him.

"It's alright. You probably just lost control. I've done it before too and let me tell you, when I lose control, it does a whole lot more damage than what you did," the jinchuuriki said.

"But I killed someone. That's bad, isn't it?" Shinobu asked.

"Yes, it is, but that man shouldn't have come after you in the first place. A good boy such as yourself shouldn't need to be afraid of anyone," Naruto said.

He thought back to his own wretched childhood where he'd been chased and attacked more times than he could count.

"No one's going to be mad at me?" Shinobu asked.

Both Naruto and Iruka shook their heads.

"We'll just have to focus on your training a little more," the former teacher said somewhat sadly.

Shinobu looked down at his feet, still unsure. He crinkled his bare toes, curling them as tightly against his feet as he could.

"Chichi won't be mad at me?" he finally asked quietly.

Iruka felt his heart constrict in his chest. He was well aware of Kakashi's past as a highly trained ANBU assassin, having had to awaken him from many a nightmare in the past. Although the Jounin hadn't given them many solid details about his time there, Iruka knew that it was painful for his lover to think back to those days. He also knew that Kakashi didn't want his son's childhood to be anything like this own. For him to hear that Shinobu had killed his first man at the age of five would come as a harsh blow to the Jounin's dream.

"No, he won't be. In fact, he'll probably be able to help you with your training more than I will. You take after him in that regard," Iruka sighed.

The small child in Naruto's lap nodded and reached out for his father. Iruka took his son in his arms so the boy could wrap his around Iruka's neck, squeezing tightly. Slowly and softly, the former teacher trailed his fingers up and down his son's back. Shinobu giggled slightly as Iruka tickled his back.

"Just try not to think about it for now," Iruka said, kissing his son on his cheek. "It'll all be sorted out soon."

**Preview: Undecided as to this point. Neji will probably wake up. Tsunade will probably hear about what happened with Shinobu and Iruka. There may or may not be a little bit of KankuroxKiba. Yeah, still up in the air on the next chapter. It should be coming either later today or tomorrow. **


	26. Chapter 25

**Summary: Neji has a dream about a woman he recognizes. Kakashi comes home to a guilt-ridden Iruka and decides to change that. **

Chapter 25

_Neji could hear voices, faint and soft. They were whispering, taunting him from somewhere in the shadows of his mind. He turned towards them, but the people who spoke eluded his vision. Growling in annoyance, Neji glared at the swirling darkness that surrounded him. He clenched his hands, feeling his claws dig slightly into his skin. _

"_Hello?" he called out. "Anyone there?"_

_The voices had stopped, which annoyed Neji even further. He growled again, his lips pulling back from the sharp fangs._

"_Neji."_

_Whipping around, Neji watched as the darkness receded, revealing a grass plain. He glanced backwards and then forwards again, frowning. It was like no place he'd ever been before. The tall grasses came up to his hips and swayed easily in a breeze so slight that not even Neji's thin hair moved. The plain stretched out as far as Neji could see in any direction and there wasn't a tree, building, or any sort of obstruction in sight. _

"_Hello?" _

"_Neji."_

_Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a woman appeared. She was wearing a black yukata that was pulled tightly around her. Her arms hung at her sides, unusually thin. In fact, her entire body was slimmer than normal, even more than Neji's. Her dark hair was thick and curled slightly at the ends. Neji frowned. She resembled someone he knew well, although he couldn't figure out who it was._

"_Who are you?" Neji asked._

"_I was named Kemuri," the woman replied. _

"_Smoke."_

_The woman nodded, smiling._

"_You're an Ookami," Neji stated, motioning to her ears and claws._

"_I am. Kemuri Umino is my name."_

"_My bloodline."_

_The woman laughed, revealing her pointed teeth._

"_Oh, Neji. I'm a lot closer to you than that," she said._

_It dawned on the former Hyuuga, surprise flooding his eyes. The dark tan skin. The brown eyes. The wavy hair. _

"_You look like Iruka-sensei."_

"_Well, he is my nephew, though his dad wouldn't let me near him," the woman sighed._

_Suddenly, the earth beneath them began to shake violently, making Neji almost lose his balance. Neji looked down to see huge cracks spreading through the ground, growing larger and longer. There was a loud crack and the earth under Neji's feet started to break apart. _

"_Bye bye, Neji-kun," the woman cooed as Neji fell through the ground into the dark chasm below._

With a gasp, Neji sat up in bed, drenched in cold sweat. A sudden pain ripped through his body and he grabbed his side, squeezing his eyes shut. He growled low as he carefully set himself back down on the bed. A door creaked open, but the former Hyuuga was too distracted by the pain to even open his eyes.

"Neji!" Gaara shouted when he realized that his lover was awake.

Rushing to the bed, Gaara leaned over Neji, trying to see what was wrong. He reached out and wiped the sweat away with his sleeve, leaving to soaked. Neji moaned loudly as he finally opened his eyes, still holding his side.

"Are you okay?" Gaara asked, worried.

"I-I sat up too soon," Neji groaned.

"You're lucky you didn't tear open your wound," Gaara sighed. "Be more careful."

"I'm sorry," Neji murmured, his mind wandering back to the woman in his dream.

Frowning, Gaara looked down at his lover, noticing the sad look on Neji's face. The pain that he'd originally seen had disappeared and was replaced with an emotion that was much more heartbreaking.

"Is there anything else?"

Neji glanced up at him, extending his hand out to Gaara, who took it. Squeezing his lover's hand, Gaara stared at Neji with concerned curiosity.

"I had a dream," Neji murmured.

"About what?" Gaara asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Kemuri Umino."

"I don't think I-"

"-Iruka-sensei's aunt. My mother."

"Oh."

Leaning over, Gaara rested his forehead on Neji's, covering the black mark. He brought Neji's hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

"I'm just glad that you're awake."

"That bastard beat me up good," Neji sighed, glancing down at the bandages.

"He's in custody. You stalled him long enough for Kakashi to get him," the Kazekage said.

"Kakashi got it?" Neji asked.

Gaara nodded and Neji grinned.

"Good. That mother fucker deserves it."

"Who?"

"Both of them."

Iruka sat on his and Kakashi's bed, alone. The room was dark except for a single sliver of moonlight that filtered in through the open window, illuminating part of the former teacher's face. It was silent. Shinobu had fallen asleep hours earlier in his lap and, after helping Iruka put the boy to bed, Naruto had promptly left.

Hearing a door open somewhere else in the house, Iruka raised his head, looking in the direction of the bedroom door. He could tell by the nearly soft footsteps that it was Kakashi. A few moments later, the bedroom door opened and the silver-haired Jounin slipped into the room, closing it behind him.

"How is Shinobu?" Kakashi asked as he sat down on the bed beside Iruka.

"He's as well as anyone could be in his situation," Iruka sighed. "I never should have forced him to go outside. None of this would have happened."

"Don't blame yourself, Iru. You didn't know there would be another guy there," Kakashi whispered, lying down on his side.

"I still feel horrible about it," Iruka murmured.

He lay down beside his lover, staring up at the ceiling.

"I'm his father. It's my job to protect him-"

"-And you were doing just that. There are things in this world that not even the most stubborn of Chuunins like yourself can control."

Iruka chuckled a little and crawled over to Kakashi, pressing his body against the Jounin's. Kakashi placed one arm at Iruka's hip, running his hand down his beloved's thigh. Almost purring, Iruka snuggled closer and reached around to Kakashi's back, holding him close.

"How are you taking it?" the former teacher asked.

"I'm not completely sure yet. When Naruto came and told me what had happened, I froze. I didn't know what to do. This was the last thing that I wanted for our son," Kakashi admitted, sighing.

"But no matter what we did, it came anyway," Iruka whispered, feeling guilty.

"And now, it is in the past. There is nothing we can do about it."

The couple fell into silence, the only sound in the entire room being that of Kakashi's hand running along the fabric of Iruka's pants as he caressed his lover's thigh.

"I'll start training with Shinobu tomorrow."

Iruka glanced up at his lover and tried to smile.

"I think it would be for the best," he said as he rested his forehead against Kakashi's neck. "I've taught him the basics, but it looks like its time for him to get a new teacher. What I know cannot house his power anymore."

Kissing the top of Iruka's head, Kakashi ran his hand up Iruka's side and under his shirt. He ignored his lover's whimper of protest as he moved his hand to Iruka's stomach, feeling the taught abdominal muscles. Slowly, his hand traveled higher to his lover's chest, latching onto a nipple.

"K-Kashi, what are you doing?" Iruka moaned as Kakashi's fingers twisted lightly.

"You're being too hard on yourself. Let me distract you," Kakashi whispered in his lover's ear.

"But Ka-"

"-You said it yourself: 'it came anyway'. You did the best you could Iru and I thank you wholeheartedly for that. It's not your fault. Now, be quiet."

Iruka groaned again as Kakashi rolled him onto his back, fingers still pinching his nipple. Reaching down, the former teacher quickly pulled off his shirt, exposing his chest to Kakashi's hungry eyes. With a smirk, the Jounin latched onto the untouched nipple with his mouth, biting at the skin. Iruka writhed under him, hands clenching the sheets of the bed.

"I promise I won't go all the way, just like we decided," Kakashi whispered, his hot breath tickling Iruka's ear.

The former teacher only moaned in response, his groin tightening as Kakashi kissed his way down Iruka's chest. He stopped just above the waist of Iruka's pants, licking at the sensitive skin. His tongue traced the healing scar, making his lover shudder. As he slid his way back up Iruka's body, Kakashi let go of the abused nipple to trail his hands up both of the former teacher's sides. Moaning loudly, Iruka grabbed Kakashi's shoulders and rolled the Jounin on top of him. He spread his legs, rubbing his groin against Kakashi's.

"Still so eager," the Jounin chuckled when he felt the hard bulge beneath him.

"Six years of waiting does that to a man," Iruka moaned as he grabbed the back of Kakashi's neck, dragging him up to his mouth.

Their tongues met before their lips did, tangling together in midair. Kakashi slid his over Iruka's before they crushed their mouths together, giving the Jounin access to the inside of his lover's. He traced the ridges of the roof of Iruka's mouth with his tongue, gaining him a series of desperate purrs that Kakashi wished he could wear as medals. He loved it when Iruka made any sort of lustful sounds, but purrs were his favorite.

The couple ground their hips together, pushing Iruka's ass back into the mattress. Reaching around, Kakashi grabbed the two cheeks through his lover's pants, spreading them. He ground harder against Iruka's hips while also pulling him forward with his hands, completely catching the former teacher in his grasp.

"Kashi," Iruka gasped as Kakashi nipped his collarbone. "Take your damn pants off."

Grinning, Kakashi slid his hands down to the hem of Iruka's black cotton pants, slowly and seductively pulling.

"You first."

**Yep. I am stopping it there. Terrible, I know, but no worries. We'll see more of them later . In this story, Kakashi is very careful with Iruka (how sweet) so it won't get too dirty until he feels that Iruka's ready for it.**

**To answer nequam-tenshi's question: Shinobu means "endurance" or at least that's one reading of it. I picked it because Shinobu is supposed to be what kept Iruka going when he was stuck in the Land of Snow for six years.**


	27. Chapter 26

**Summary: Tsunade meets with Neji and Gaara about Neji's transfer to Suna. Then, the Kages meet to discuss the fate of Himura Utake.**

Chapter 26

"Come in!" Tsunade called, looking up from her work.

The door opened to reveal Neji and Gaara as they stepped into her office. Sitting back in her chair, Tsunade smiled at both of them, abandoning the pen she'd been using on the desk.

"Well, hello. I wasn't expecting you two to be here so early," the Hokage laughed.

"We agreed that it was best to meet with you as soon as possible," Neji replied.

"Ah yes, the transfer," Tsunade murmured. "You're sure that you want to go ahead with it?"

Both the former Hyuuga and the Kazekage nodded. Gaara reached over and possessively grabbed Neji's waist, pulling him close. Tsunade smiled at the display.

"Have you informed your family yet, Neji?" she asked.

"Iruka-sensei and Hinata know. As far as I'm concerned, they're the only family I have left," Neji said, his voice cold.

"So your uncle still refuses to see you?"

Neji nodded again as Gaara's grip tightened around him.

"Hinata said she'll try to work on him, but I already know that it's a lost cause. I've actually gotten used to the fact that I'm no longer part of the clan. I belong with Gaara now," Neji mused.

Tsunade glanced from Neji to Gaara and back again. She smiled and knew, deep in her heart, that this was the best thing for the former Hyuuga. If he remained in Konoha, it would only give his uncle the chance to torment the young Jounin whenever he got the chance. The old Hyuuga clan leader had become too bitter and angry for his own good, as well as everyone else's.

"I'm sorry to lose one of my best ninja, but I'm sure that Suna will be happy to have you."

"We are," Gaara replied, smiling a little.

"When do you plan to leave?" Tsunade asked.

"As soon as all of this Himura stuff is settled," Gaara said.

"So not very long at all. Well, I wish you both happiness. The door will always be open for both of you. After all, Neji was still born a Konoha ninja, regardless of where he ends up," Tsunade said as she stood.

She shook hands with both of the men and watched as they left the room, hand-in-hand. Flopping back into her chair, Tsunade grinned widely. A girly giggle escaped her. She felt as giddy as a child eating something sweet. Perhaps it was from seeing Neji so blissfully happy, or perhaps it was from the fact that she knew all of this trouble was coming to an end. Tsunade didn't really care.

A few hours later, the five Kages were sitting in a dark, secluded room somewhere deep within the Tower. The round table that separated them was covered in scrolls and papers detailing the past and present actions of Lord Himura Utake and his army. Mei, the Mizukage, was reading over one of them, eyebrows furrowed heavily. On either side of her, Tsunade and Gaara sat silently, as did the Raikage. All three of them were keenly aware of what Himura had done. The Tsuchikage, meanwhile, threw a scroll down on the table and grabbed another one, almost ripping it open.

"What the hell is all of this?" the old man declared, slapping the scroll's paper with the back of his hand. "I thought that the Ookami have been gone for years."

"That's what everyone else thought," Tsunade explained. "Ever since their village was destroyed, they've been hiding among us."

"Damn demons. They've probably tried to kill us in our sleep," the Tsuchikage muttered as he went back to reading.

Giving Gaara a sideways glance, Tsunade was glad to see that the Kazekage had maintained his cold, calm mask. She didn't want a fight breaking out during a rare Kage meeting.

"There are only seven of them left, Oonoki," the Raikage said. "They're probably more focused on keeping their species alive than inflicting pain on humans or causing an uproar."

"So, they've basically been hiding in plain sight for the past thirty years," Mei murmured, setting her own scroll down.

"Only two of them was born in a shinobi village and all five that were are shinobi themselves," Gaara said, nodding to confirm the Mizukage's analysis.

"I can't believe that you let monsters like that stay in your village and breed," Oonoki hissed at Tsunade and the Raikage.

"Firstly, we didn't know that they were Ookami when they first came here. Secondly, they're a great asset to have. You've read the reports. The Ookami are some of the most powerful creatures in the entire world, rivaling that of the jinchuuriki," the Raikage replied, his tone harsh and cold.

"Now look at them! They're breeding with some of our most important ninja clans! They're probably trying to gain our trust and then take over the villages!" Oonoki cried.

"That's absurd!" Tsunade shouted, finally losing her temper.

"You're just being paranoid," Gaara muttered.

"I'm not! It was probably their plan all along! None of you knew they were there until it was too late. Now, there's an Ookami in both the Hatake and Hyuuga clans in Konoha and another one of them is set to marry into the Yotsuki clan of Kumogakure!" the Tsuchikage hissed.

"Shut up for a moment and think about it, Oonoki," the Mizukage said, her voice clear and strong. "The Ookami lived outside of human society for hundreds of years. What possible reason would they have for trying to take over our villages?"

"They don't need to have a reason. They're demons!"

"Being descended from a demon is not the same as being one," Gaara hissed, his eyes flashing red.

"And you would know that," Oonoki spat. "You're a demon yourself."

"I am a host of one, yes, and to me the difference is clear. Perhaps your old age is blinding you and your judgments of people," Gaara muttered.

"Stop this! I thought you two put all of that behind you," Tsunade shouted.

'So did I,' Shukaku growled inside Gaara's mind, 'But that man has no right to accuse your mate's family of anything.'

"I just find what the Tsuchikage to be saying as an absolute falsehood," Gaara replied. "Neji Hyuuga is my lover and I'm going to defend his honor as an honest man, especially when the one accusing him is someone that didn't know that the Ookami still existed until a few hours ago."

He sat back in his chair and took of his Kazekage hat, tossing it easily on the floor next to him.

"Besides, the Tsuchikage is off topic. We're here to discuss what to do with Himura Utake, not secret political intrigue strategies that the Ookami may or may not have in place for world domination," he continued.

"Don't mock me. I've been alive longer than you and your father combined," Oonoki muttered.

"Age has nothing to do with this. Now, please calm down, both of you. Tsunade didn't call this meeting for us to spend it fighting," Mei said as she set down the scroll she'd been reading.

The Tsuchikage grumbled something under his breath as he sat back in his chair, arms crossed. He glared fiercely across the table at Gaara, who ignored the other Kage's angry looks.

'Now we've got him riled up,' Shukaku chuckled.

'Shut up. I just made a fool out of myself,' Gaara thought back, mentally rolling his eyes.

'But you looked strong doing it.'

Tsunade stood up slowly, retaking control over the meeting.

"So, what do we want to do with Himura Utake?"

"I don't understand why Mei and I even need to be here. Neither of us have had Ookami in our villages," the Tsuchikage snorted.

Sighing, Tsunade knocked a few times on the table, signaling for the guards outside to step into the room. The door creaked open and Shizune poked her head in.

"Would you like us to bring them in, Tsunade-sama?" her assistant asked.

Tsunade gave a curt nod before Shizune disappeared back into the hall.

"The day after Himura was captured, I sent a group of Jounin to his castle in the Land of Snow. They returned with these six pelts. It seems that Himura likes to keep some of his kills for his own use," the Hokage explained.

Shizune returned a few moments later with three other Konoha ninja behind her. Each of them held in their arms a small pile of pelts, all from Ookami. They set the furs on the table, spreading them out so the Kages could see each individual pelt. There were six in total and each had a hitai-ate to accompany them. Three of them bore the emblem of Iwagakure and another two had the lines that made up the symbol of Kirigakure. The last hitai-ate was from Suna.

"Are you telling me that he was stealing hitai-ate as well?" Oonoki asked, outraged.

"No. These were not stolen. The shinobi that wore them were killed by Himura Utake," Tsunade said.

"That is outrageous. These are Ookami pelts. I've never had an Ookami in my village," the Tsuchikage hissed, motioning to the furs on the table.

"I didn't know there were Ookami in my village. Why would it be any different for you?" Tsunade growled.

""We've gotten confirmations on all of their identities from the other Ookami," Shizune said, holding a clipboard up. "The brown on the right is Yusaki Ginko, an Iwagakure Chuunin that disappeared almost ten years ago while traveling between Iwa and Konoha. The two other Iwagakure Ookami were Daisuke Kitakawa and Teru Ikayami, both Jounin that were declared to be missing-nin after the suspicious death of their former teammate, Kyo Unami."

"That's impos-"

"-Stop saying that because what's here in front of you is true," Gaara muttered coldly.

"Don't use that tone with me, child," Oonoki hissed in response.

Gaara suddenly stood up and slammed his hands on the table, his anger quickly rising. He gritted his teeth to try and hold back what he was going to say, but it slipped out anyways.

"Just because you're ancient doesn't make you a better leader than any of us. These were your ninja and by denying that they were is just like spitting on their graves. Have some respect for the dead!" he shouted.

"I'm not going to believe that my ninja were Ookami based solely on the conjectures of those monsters that you lot all seem to believe!" Oonoki almost screamed in reply, leaping up out of his chair.

"They aren't conjectures, sir. We spent the last week testing each pelt's fur and the DNA matches." Shizune said calmly.

As they watched the Tsuchikage's face fell into shock. He collapsed back into his chair, staring at the pelts in front of him. Slowly, he reached out and ran his hands through the gray fur of the skin closest to him, the soft hairs tickling his fingers and palms.

"Then… this is really-"

"Teru Ikayami? Yes, that is correct," Shizune replied. "Our remaining Ookami said that the two of them were forced to fight each other. Ikayami was the loser in the fight and Kitakawa was killed not long after by poison."

Still seething, Gaara kicked his chair aside and quickly left the room. Although Tsunade noticed him leaving, she didn't turn to look at him. She could tell from the deathly aura around him that the Kazekage needed time to think and be alone.

"What's with him?" the Tsuchikage asked. "Can't he take the reality?"

"Shut up, Oonoki. You've done enough damage to Gaara for today," Tsunade spat.

"Would you like me to send someone after the Kazekage?" Shizune asked.

"No, leave him be. He'll come back when he's ready," the Hokage replied, sitting in her chair.

Gaara stormed down the hall, his anger easily throwing anyone he passed against the wall with fear. He sensed that he was letting his rage get the better of him, but Gaara was too pent up with anger to really care. He threw the doors of the Tower open and stomped into the street.

His anger calmed a bit as he stood under the warm, afternoon sun. The humidity of the place still bothered him, but to the Kazekage, the sunshine was what really mattered. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Gaara started down the street. He watched people as they rushed past him, always in a hurry to get somewhere. Shopkeepers were shouting out the prices of their goods as they tried to get new or returning customers to step inside. On one street corner, an elderly lady was selling homemade candies to eager children.

Eventually, Gaara found himself at the training grounds. His ears picked up the crackling of lightning jutsu and he followed the sound into the trees. Stopping several yards away from the edge of a clearing, Gaara watched them, a faint smile playing on his lips. Kakashi and Shinobu were sitting on the ground, cross-legged. Chakra snapped loudly around the Jounin's hands, which were outstretched for Shinobu to see. The boy's own white chakra was pouring out of his fingers as Shinobu tried to copy his father.

Suddenly, Shinobu's eyes widened and his head whipped upwards, his dark eyes focusing on Gaara. The boy smiled and Kakashi, noticing the change in his son's attitude, glanced over his shoulder.

"I thought you had a meeting with the other Kages," Kakashi said as Gaara walked out of the trees.

"I did, but I needed to get out of there. The Tsuchikage wasn't exactly open to the idea that some of his former ninjas were Ookami," the Kazekage sighed. "You're doing some training, I see."

"Chichi is teaching me to control my lightning," Shinobu said, holding up his hands.

White lightning crackled around his hands, filling the air with static and electricity.

"You're doing very well," Gaara replied as he sat down next to Kakashi.

"You think so… um-" Shinobu stopped, frowning. "What should I call you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you're with Cousin Neji, and you're the Kazekage, but then Naruto-nii-san says that you're his brother which makes you my brother, doesn't it?" the boy said slowly.

"Just Cousin Gaara is fine. Naruto and I are brothers in spirit only," the Kazekage laughed. "So, how are you, Shinobu?"

The child's gaze fell to the ground and he lowered his head slightly, his shoulder hunching.

"Okay," Shinobu whispered.

Smiling softly, Gaara ruffled Shinobu's white hair.

"Don't think about that. I was actually talking about your training. Is your father working you hard?"

Within seconds, the boy's face brightened and he smiled again. He giggled a little.

"I'm good. Naruto-nii-san said that Chichi is a tough teacher, but it hasn't been too bad so far," he laughed.

"Naruto wasn't exactly a star student when he was in my care so he may be exaggerating a little," Kakashi sighed.

"Really? 'Cause I've heard that from Sasuke and Sakura as well," Gaara teased.

Rolling his eyes, the Jounin sighed again and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I stand by what I said."

Shinobu laughed at his father, but something else attracted his attention. He looked in the direction from which Gaara had come and smiled widely.

"Aunt Kurenai!"

The kunoichi Jounin walked out of the trees, her son following close behind. The boy, who was just over a year older than Shinobu, rushed over when he saw the other child, tackling him. They tumbled in the dirt, laughing.

"Arata (1)!" Kurenai shouted. "Be polite."

"It's fine, Kurenai-san. Boys are rough," Kakashi said.

"I'm trying to teach him to say hello before he goes tackling people," Kurenai sighed as the two boys scampered off.

"I guess you don't want him ending up like Guy," Kakashi laughed, sitting back on his hands. "He never learned the importance of controlling his flying kicks, let alone his mouth."

"No, nothing like that. It's more of trying to keep him from ruining the walls of our apartment again. He's already kicked several holes in them in the past week," the kunoichi groaned.

"He's a ninja-in-training already."

The three shinobi watched as Arata was chased around by a wolf-form Shinobu. Having spent a night with Kurenai and her son, the young Ookami was completely comfortable being around them in any of his three forms, even relishing in playing tag as a wolf.

"Never thought I'd see the day," Kurenai murmured.

Kakashi and Gaara glanced up at her, curious.

"I was positive that children were out of the question for you, emotionally and biologically," the kunoichi laughed.

"Things change, Kurenai. It's not like I didn't like children to begin with. Some of them just didn't live up to my standards as a teacher."

"No wonder you're notorious for being harsh."

Sighing, Kakashi realized that he was not going to get through his conversation without being teased half to death. He threw his hands up in defeat and lay down on the grass, closing his eyes. Suddenly, something landed on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Kakashi grabbed Shinobu and wrestled the boy onto his back, growling playfully. Shinobu let out a excited shriek and Arata leapt onto the Jounin's back. Scampering away from his father's gasp, Shinobu ran off, Arata hot on his heels. Kakashi chased after them, leaving Gaara and Kurenai to exchange amused glances.

When he got back to his apartment that night, Gaara went in search of Neji. He found the former Hyuuga in their bedroom, sorting through a box of his personal items that Hinata had managed to sneak out of the compound. Kneeling down behind his lover, Gaara wrapped his arms around Neji's waist, pulling himself against the former Hyuuga's back.

"What are you looking for?" Gaara asked, rubbing Neji's stomach.

Neji purred and settled back against Gaara.

"Nothing really. I'm just going through it to make sure everything is here," Neji said.

Gaara squeezed Neji tightly, kissing the sensitive spot just behind his ear. Feeling Neji shiver, the Kazekage reached down, grabbing the former Hyuuga's crotch.

"Himura is going to be in jail for the rest of his life," he groaned in Neji's ear, rubbing his lover with the base of his palm.

"Where?" Neji moaned.

He arched his back, pressing his hips forward to meet Gaara's hand. Throwing his head back, Neji rested it on Gaara's shoulder. He spread his legs wider, giving Gaara better access as he moaned louder.

"Here in Konoha," Gaara purred. "It seems that Tsunade wants to leave the bastard's future to her own whims."

"And I'm fine with that," the former Hyuuga laughed as he ground his ass against Gaara's groin.

Hearing the Kazekage moan, Neji grinned and spun around, pushing Gaara onto his back. He grinned down at the redhead, setting his hands and knees on either side of Gaara. Gripping the back of Neji's neck, Gaara dragged their lips together, smiling as he slipped his tongue into Neji's mouth. Neji ground his hips against Gaara's roughly, desperately. Suddenly, the front door opened and the couple broke their kiss, but didn't move from their positions.

"No way! Your sister-"

Kankuro met Neji and Gaara's gaze as he stepped through the front door. Kiba, who was not far behind, stopped in his tracks when his boyfriend did. Following Kankuro's line of sight, Kiba's mouth dropped open when he saw Neji on top of Gaara in the next room. He tried to speak, but Kankuro quickly grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards his own bedroom, which was down the hall. When they heard the bedroom door slam, Gaara and Neji glanced at each other. Resting his forehead against Gaara's chest, Neji broke into almost violent laughter.

**Arata means fresh or new. I tried to find a record of Asuma and Kurenai's son's name, but I didn't find it so I just gave him one. **


	28. Epilogue

***starts to cry a little***** This adorable story of mine is coming an end, but don't worry! I am planning a sequel centered on KakaxIru as well as writing a Death Note fic, which should both follow shortly. Also, if you want to read any of my original work, just go to my profile and follow the link to my profile. I only have one work on their but it's a really good one! Anyways, on to the finale and my third chapter to publish today. Oh and there's yaoi in this one.**

Epilogue

Neji sighed as he wiped sweat away from his forehead. He looked around the unfamiliar room and smiled, setting his hands on his hips. The former Hyuuga didn't have many personal affects, but the boxes seemed to cover the majority of the floor space. He had carved small pathways between them so he could freely move around the living room, but that hasn't stopped him from tripping every now and then.

"And that's the last one," Gaara grunted as he set another small, but heavy box down by the doorway. "What the hell is even in there?"

"Weapons from Tenten," Neji laughed. "She was adamant about giving me a whole new set of shurikan, kunai, and a bunch of other knives before I left."

"I never knew that they were that heavy," the Kazekage groaned.

"Well that's because you have no use for them. I don't have a gourd of sand to use so I'm forced to sometimes rely on metal weapons," Neji chuckled.

Straightening up, Gaara threw an arm around his lover's waist, pulling him into his side. They both looked around the apartment that they would be sharing that from that day onward. The whitewashed walls seemed bright in contrast to the dark wood of the furniture and the cardboard boxes that contained Neji's things. Beneath their feet, the tile floor was cool and refreshing. A simple woven rug comprised of a variety of reds and grays lay at the center of the room. That was the only way to describe the apartment overall: simple.

"This still seems a little bit unreal," Gaara whispered.

"Well, you'd better get used to it, 'cause I'm not leaving anytime soon," Neji said.

Smiling, Gaara nuzzled against the side of Neji's head, almost purring in happiness. His hand traveled down Neji's side to rest casually on his ass.

Pulling away, Neji smiled at his boyfriend and said, "Come on. I need to get some of this stuff unpacked."

Gaara groaned inwardly, but set to work opening the boxes nearest him. They worked steadily without rest, tearing open the heavy binding tape that keep each cardboard box closed. The majority of what Neji had brought with him were relics that his parents had left behind for him, including a collection of ancient scrolls containing jutsu for Branch members of the Hyuuga clan. However, the thing that Gaara found the most interesting was a small black notebook that he found at the bottom of a very large box. It was plain and decorated by two letters in gold on the front: H.H.

"What is this?" Gaara wondered aloud, flipping the book over to examine the back.

"Oh, that's my father's journal from when he was a teenager," Neji said.

Standing up with five small scrolls in his arms, Neji turned to head towards the small library that was off of the living room.

"Open to the twentieth page," he shouted as he disappeared into the next room.

Flipping to the page Neji had told him to, Gaara found a small picture tucked inside. He took it out, holding it gingerly in his fingers as he set the book aside. It was of a woman standing in front of the Hyuuga compound, her hair wild compared to Neji's father, who stood next to her. Her skin was more tan than the typical pale coloration of the Hyuuga clan and her dark brown eyes glittered happily.

"That's my mom," Neji said, reappearing from the darkness of the library. "I found the notebook when I was going through the stuff Hinata brought me. I'd actually forgotten what she looked like."

Gaara set the picture on top of the notebook and handed them to his lover. Taking the two objects, Neji sighed softly and set them aside on the coffee table. He knelt down in front of Gaara so they were at eye level.

"There's only two boxes left and they're just small, unimportant stuff," Neji said slowly.

The former Hyuuga smiled mischievously as he softly grabbed Gaara's shoulder, pulling them together so their chests were flush against each other's.

"How about we move on to the next part?" he murmured, his arms dangling loosely over his lover's shoulders.

Smirking, Gaara gripped Neji's chin, running his thumb over the soft skin of his face. He pulled Neji's face down to his, kissing his chastely. Pulling back an inch, Gaara licked at the Jounin's bottom lip, silently asking. Neji's grin widened as he opened his mouth, slipping his tongue out. Running the muscle over Gaara's, Neji moaned slightly, gripping the back of the Kazekage's neck tightly. With great force and pleasurable need, the lover slammed their mouths together, groaning into each other's cavern.

Their tongues sparred as Gaara carefully picked his lover up, carrying him into the bedroom. Neji wrapped his legs around Gaara's waist, rubbing his clothed groin against the youngest Subaku's. Moaning, Gaara collapsed onto the bed with Neji under him. Scooting back onto the red blankets, Neji gasped the collar of Gaara's shirt, pulling the Kazekage along with him. Settling back onto the bed, Neji yanked Gaara's mouth down, letting the Kazekage's tongue slide into his.

Smiling into the kiss, Gaara reached down to pull open Neji's shirt, running his fingers along the pale skin. Neji's happy humming vibrated through Gaara's entire body, centering on his already hardened cock. Quickly pulling the shirt off, the Kazekage licked at one of Neji's nipples, then the other. Groaning, Neji raised his hips to rock against Gaara's.

Running a trail of light kisses down the center of Neji's torso, Gaara licked under the hem of the dark pants. A hot feeling settled in the former Hyuuga's lower abdomen, causing him to curse softly. Gaara grinned widely as he grabbed Neji's hips hard before setting to work on Neji's pants. Kissing the hard bulge, Gaara used his teeth to pull the button loose, opening the small flap. Neji groaned loudly, clenching his teeth as Gaara nuzzled against his crotch, yanking the zipper down.

Unable to take anymore, Neji reached down and pushed his pants off of his hips. He started to pant as Gaara took the black pants from him and threw them in the corner. Growling, Neji tore at his lover's clothing to toss them in a pile with his own clothes. When they were both down to their boxers, Gaara nipped at the hardened cock under the cloth and smiled wickedly. Neji squirmed and moaned as a cool hand slipped under his boxers. Fingertips lightly brushed over him, making Neji buck and grind.

"No," the former Hyuuga moaned as Gaara continued to stroke him.

Gaara's head snapped up, eyes wide with concern. Seeing the look on his lover's face, Neji smiled and sat up a little, his hand slipping under the cloth to cover Gaara's. He took control, pulling Gaara's hand out. The Kazekage started to protest, but Neji covered his mouth with a harsh kiss. Hooking Gaara's fingers in the hem of his boxers, Neji yanked them down, revealing his arousal. With a quick push, Gaara had his lover down on the bed again, looking him over.

"Gorgeous," the redhead murmured.

Blushing heavily, Neji bucked against Gaara's hips, trying to show him what he wanted.

"Alright, alright," Gaara laughed as he pulled his own boxers off.

Tossing the two pairs in the corner, the Kazekage bore down on his boyfriend, sucking on his fingers. Neji squirmed, his fingers winding in the red locks of his lover's hair. A wet finger pressed against his entrance and the former Hyuuga moaned loudly. It trailed around the outside, teasing him.

"Inside, now!" Neji hissed, pulling on Gaara's hair.

Suddenly, the finger slipped inside and Neji gasped, arching his back. He panted hard as Gaara slid it in as far as it could go, wiggling the small appendage.

"More. I need more."

More than happy to please his beloved, Gaara added a second and third finger, sliding them in and out of the pale man's entrance. Beneath him, Neji bucked and grinded as hard as he could, riding the fingers wildly. His hips rolled sharply, giving Gaara a great view of Neji's arousal.

"I can't take it anymore," the Kazekage moaned.

Neji was about to hiss with annoyance at the removal of the fingers, but it was cut off by a sudden, sharp gasp. Gaara had filled him completely with one trust, hitting his most sensitive spot.

"Right there," Neji moaned, gripping the blanket under him.

Slowly, Gaara pulled out almost all the way, leaving only his head inside. Then, he snapped forward, making Neji howl with pleasure. Thrusting toward, the lovers fell into a fierce, fast rhythm that only got faster and harder. Both of them were panting hard, Neji arching his back as much as he could. He gasped as his abused prostate burned with pleasure. The heat in his stomach grew with each thrust until he was almost to the tipping point.

"I-I-" Neji tried to say between pants as he reached his climax.

With a deep, resounding shriek, Neji came, his entire body tensing. Gaara felt the warm walls clenching around him and he groaned his lover's name, filling the hot passage. The lovers were as solid as statues as they rode out their orgasm, panting. As their bones melted, Gaara collapsed on top of Neji, burying his face in the silky brown hair.

"Neji," Gaara whispered as he moved them under the red blanket.

"Yeah?"

"I'm so happy right now."

Neji laughed and snuggled against Gaara's chest.

"So am I."

**That's the end for now. Thank you so much to all of the fans of this story and I hope you'll read the sequel that will be coming in the future and some of my other work. Special thanks to nequam-tenshi for the great questions. They helped me find a direction whenever I got stuck. **


	29. Preview

**The first chapter of the sequel is up for those who want to read it. It's called Children of Ookami. Here is a sneak preview:**

Iruka stood in the Hokage's office, waiting. He was in a relaxed stance, his shoulders loose, hands clasped behind his back. The majority of his weight was balanced on his right leg, giving his posture a slight slant. He was dressed in the typical uniform of a Konoha ninja: black pants, black shirt, and flack jacket. His hair was pulled up into its signature ponytail at the back of his head. Reaching up, the Chuunin lightly scratched the scar over his nose with a clawed finger. His dark tail, which was longer and thinner than that of most of his kind, was still behind him, the tip resting slightly on the floor.

The door opened and Iruka glanced over his shoulders. Tsunade practically stormed into the office, muttering something under her breath about damn old council men. Smiling, Iruka faced forward as Tsunade approached the desk. Flopping down in the chair, the Hokage studied him for a moment.

"Shizune tells me that you're here to ask for a month of a leave," Tsunade said.

"I am and, if you give it to me, I already have a substitute lined up for my class," Iruka replied.


End file.
